Information recording method, information recording device, and information storage medium

ABSTRACT

An information storage medium is designed to assure stable continuous recording without adverse effect, even when many defective areas are present on the information storage medium. To record information onto the information storage medium, a file unit is defined as a first unit. A contiguous data area unit to be treated as a continuous recording area is defined as a second unit. Furthermore, recording is done in the contiguous data area units and a collection of the contiguous data area units is organized into the file unit. In addition, an information recording place is provided in such a manner that the contiguous data area unit is so set that it extends over the recording area of another file already recorded on the information storage medium and a defective area on the information storage medium.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This is a continuation of application No. PCT/JP99/05096, filedSep. 20, 1999.

[0002] This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priorityfrom the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 10-265270, filed Sep.18, 1998; No. 10-292819, filed Sep. 30, 1998; No. 10-292821, filed Sep.30, 1998; No. 10-292823, filed Sep. 30, 1998; No. 10-292826, filed Sep.30, 1998; and No. 10-292827, filed Sep. 30, 1998, the entire contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This invention relates to an information recording method, aninformation recording device, an information reproducing device, and aninformation storage medium which are suitable for recording varioustypes of information, including video information and/or audioinformation, and further computer data, onto a recording medium.

[0004] In the information recording method and device, various types ofinformation are recorded continuously onto an information storage mediumwithout logical intermission. In the information storage medium, therecorded information includes information about a data structure thatenables the recorded information to be managed effectively andreproduced continuously.

[0005] There are laser disks (LDs) and digital video (DVD) disks used asinformation storage mediums on which video information or audioinformation has been recorded. The information storage mediums, however,are only for playback use and have no defective area thereon.

[0006] There are DVD-RAM disks used as mediums for storing computerinformation. This type of medium enables additional recording. Inaddition, a method of replacing a defective area occurred on theinformation storage medium has been established.

[0007] One known method of replacing a defective area occurred inrecording computer information on a RAM disk is a linear replacementprocess.

[0008] This process is a method of, when a defect has occurred, securinga replacement area in a spare area secured in another area physicallyseparate from a user area and setting a logical block number (LBN) inthe replacement area. In this method, when a defective area has occurredin the middle of recording or reproducing information onto or from adisk, the optical head has to record or record the data in the sparearea in a physically separate position and thereafter return to theposition where it interrupted the recording and resume recording thesubsequent data. This results in the frequent movement of the opticalhead.

[0009] In the computer system, the control hierarchy is divided into avideo recording and reproducing application software (hereinafter,abbreviated as recording/reproducing application) layer, a file systemlayer, and an optical disk drive (ODD) layer in the section forprocessing information and recording and reproducing information.

[0010] Commands acting as interfaces have been defined between thelayers. Addresses dealt with at each layer differ from one level ofhierarchy to another. Specifically, the recording/reproducingapplication layer deals with audio and video addresses (commonly knownas AV addresses), the file system layer deals with logical sectornumbers (LSN) or logical block numbers (LBN) on the basis of AVaddresses, and the optical disk drive layer deals with physical sectornumbers (PSN) on the basis of logical sector numbers (LSN) or logicalblock numbers (LBN).

[0011] Now, consider a case where video information or audio informationaccording to the recording format of a DVD video disk is recorded on aDVD-RAM disk. As described above, when the linear replacement process isperformed as a method of processing (replacing) a defect, each time adefective ECC block is encountered in recording, the head has to moveback and fourth between the user area explained later and the sparearea.

[0012] Such frequent access of the optical head in recording permits theamount of video information stored in the buffer memory to exceed thememory capacity because of the transfer speed and data amount of theinput data, the access time in recording, the buffer memory capacity,and others, which makes continuous recording impossible.

[0013] Although it is hoped that video information to be recorded ismanaged in the video recording and reproducing application softwarelayer without the burden of managing defects on the information storagemedium, if many defective areas have occurred on the information storagemedium, a conventional method permits the influence of defects in theinformation storage medium to extend even to the video recording andreproducing application software layer, which makes stable videoinformation management difficult.

[0014] Furthermore, in the case of recordable and reproducible disks,there has been a desire that they should be used for not only AV databut also various types of information recording.

[0015] (1) It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention toprovide an information recording method, an information recordingdevice, an information reproducing device, and an information storagemedium which have specific recording units set therein and enableenvironmental setting to achieve stable video information management(specifically, a video information recording, reproducing, and editingmethod in a system) even if a defective area or another data area existsin the specific recording units. According to the present invention,there are also provided an information recording device and aninformation reproducing device which have a most suitable system forrealizing the above environment.

[0016] (2) Another object of the present invention is to provide aninformation recording method, an information recording device, aninformation reproducing device, and an information storage medium whichimprove the method of managing AV file identification information tomake it easier to identify and manage different types of data.

[0017] (3) Another object of the present invention is to provide aninformation recording method, an information recording device, aninformation reproducing device, and an information storage medium whichmaintain the boundary between specific data block units (for example,ECC units) using unused extents, thereby facilitating the errorcorrection management of data and the additional recording process andmanagement of subsequent data, when AV data is recorded.

[0018] (4) Another object of the present invention is to provide aninformation recording method, an information recording device, aninformation reproducing device, and an information storage medium whichnot only search in advance for a place where AV data is to be recordedto prevent data from being recorded in another data area or a defectivearea, but also have the function of securing a recording area to preventerrors in recording.

[0019] (5) Another object of the present invention is to provide aninformation recording method, an information recording device, aninformation reproducing device, and an information storage medium whichalways write data in, for example, error correction codes (ECC) blockunits in recording data in such a manner that they perform readingcontrol at the beginning of writing, search for the recorded state ofthe error correction codes, and write data while maintaining the blockunits of the error correction codes, thereby improving the data writingefficiency and assuring the reliability of the error correcting processof data.

[0020] (6) Another object of the present invention is to provide aninformation recording method, an information recording device, aninformation reproducing device, and an information storage medium whichare additionally provided with a file partial delete command, therebyenabling editing to be done more easily.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The foregoing objects are accomplished as follows:

[0022] (A) According to the present invention, there is provided aninformation recording method or apparatus which uses a head forrecording information onto at least an information storage medium, ahead moving mechanism for moving the head to the information storagemedium, and a control section for controlling the moving position of thehead by controlling the head moving mechanism to record information ontothe information storage medium, the information recording method orapparatus characterized by

[0023] defining a file unit as a first unit to record information ontothe information storage medium and further defining a contiguous dataarea unit serving as a continuous recording area as a second unit todecrease the frequency of accessing of the optical head and therebyenable apparently continuous recording on the information storagemedium,

[0024] doing recording in the contiguous data area units and organizinga collection of contiguous data area units into the file unit, andproviding an information recording place in such a manner that thecontiguous data area unit is so set that it extends over the recordingarea of another file already recorded on the information storage mediumand a defective area on the information storage medium. There is furtherprovided a recording medium with such a recording place.

[0025] (B) According to the present invention, there is provided aninformation recording method or apparatus characterized in that fileentry information is recorded in the data area on the informationrecording medium and identification information about a file to beentered is recorded in the file entry information. There is furtherprovided a storage medium on which such information has been recorded.

[0026] (C) According to the present invention, there is provided aninformation recording method or apparatus characterized by having afirst recording unit to be recorded on the information storage mediumand a second recording unit larger than the first recording unit,defining an unused area at the end of the recording area in the secondrecording units, and recording information using the unused area in thenext recording. Alternatively, there is provided a storage medium onwhich information has been recorded in such a manner.

[0027] (D) According to the present invention, there is provided aninformation recording method or apparatus characterized by searching foran unused area on the information storage medium, creating andallocating position information in extent units serving as units ofcontinuous recording to the searched area, and recording the extentposition information in a management area. There is further provided astorage medium on which such information has been recorded.

[0028] (E) According to the present invention, there is provided aninformation recording method or apparatus characterized by recordinginformation in error correction code units and, when the end of therecording information has extended to the middle of an error correctioncode unit, supplementing the deficiency in the recording informationwith padding to keep the error correction code unit. There is furtherprovided a storage medium on which such data has been recorded.

[0029] (F) According to the present invention, there is provided aninformation recording method or apparatus characterized by reading theerror correction code unit in the already written recording informationat the beginning of writing and, when the end of the recordinginformation has extended to the middle of an error correction code unitbetween an unused area and an already used area, writing additional datato keep the error correction code-unit and thereafter writing data inerror correction code units. There is further provided a storage mediumon which such data has been recorded.

[0030] (G) According to the present invention, there is provided aninformation recording method characterized by comprising

[0031] a first recording process layer for controlling an informationrecording and reproducing device that records information onto aninformation storage medium,

[0032] a second recording layer which is a file system part thatcontrols locations in which information is to be recorded and whichcontrols the first recording process layer, and

[0033] a third recording process layer acting as an application layerthat gives a command to the second recording process layer,

[0034] in such a manner that these layers are constructed so as to formcontrol data groups for recording or reproducing information ininformation recording file units onto or from the information recordingmedium, and

[0035] by having a command to cause the third recording process layer toinstruct the second recording process layer to delete only part of thefile unit. Alternatively, there is provided an apparatus characterizedby comprising the above layers. Still alternatively, there is provided astorage medium which is accessed in such a manner.

[0036] Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be setforth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious fromthe description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Theobjects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained bymeans of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed outhereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0037] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in andconstitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferredembodiments of the invention, and together with the general descriptiongiven above and the detailed description of the preferred embodimentsgiven below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0038]FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of apersonal computer;

[0039]FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the layout of the generalcontents of record on in a DVD-RAM disk;

[0040]FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of thelead-in area on a DVD-RAM disk;

[0041]FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the structure of thelead-out area on a DVD-RAM disk;

[0042]FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship betweenphysical sector numbers and logical sector numbers;

[0043]FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the signal structure in asector to be recorded in a data area;

[0044]FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing the recording unit forinformation to be recorded in a data area;

[0045]FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship betweenzones and groups;

[0046]FIG. 9 is a diagram to help explain a method of setting logicalsectors on a DVD-RAM disk;

[0047]FIG. 10 is a diagram to help explain a method of replacing adefective area in the data area;

[0048]FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of theinformation recording and reproducing section;

[0049]FIG. 12 is a diagram to help explain the operation of settinglogical block numbers at the information recording and reproducingsection;

[0050]FIG. 13 is a diagram to help explain the operation of processingdefects at the information recording and reproducing section;

[0051]FIG. 14 shows an example of a file system recorded on aninformation storage medium according to UDF;

[0052]FIG. 15 shows the remaining part of FIG. 14;

[0053]FIG. 16 roughly shows the basic relationship between the structureof the hierarchical file system and the contents of information recordedon the information storage medium;

[0054]FIG. 17 shows an example of the contents of a long allocationdescriptor;

[0055]FIG. 18A shows an example of the contents of a short allocationdescriptor;

[0056]FIG. 18B shows an example of the contents of the extent length;

[0057]FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of the contents of an unlocatedspace entry;

[0058]FIGS. 20A and 20B are explanatory diagrams showing part of thecontents of file entry;

[0059]FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing part of the contents ofa file identification descriptor;

[0060]FIG. 22 shows an example of the structure of the file system;

[0061]FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure on avideo recordable/reproducible information storage medium;

[0062]FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure in anAV file recorded on an information storage medium;

[0063]FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram showing the directory structureof a data file in the data area;

[0064]FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure inthe program chain control information;

[0065]FIG. 27 is an explanatory diagram showing an example ofreproducing the video information using program chains;

[0066]FIG. 28 is a diagram to help explain a method of setting videoinformation recording locations when an unused area is set in an AV fileon the video recording and reproducing application software side;

[0067]FIG. 29 shows the relationship between logical block numbers andAV addresses in an AV file;

[0068]FIG. 30 is a diagram to help explain a method of handling datawhen part of the AV file is deleted in a case where the unused area inthe AV file is managed on the video recording/reproducing applicationside in each embodiment of the present invention;

[0069]FIG. 31 is an explanatory diagram showing the data structure inthe video object control information;

[0070]FIG. 32 is a conceptual diagram of a recording system to helpexplain the continuity of recording signals;

[0071]FIG. 33 is a diagram to help explain the state of the amount ofinformation stored in the semiconductor memory when the frequency ofaccess is the highest in the recording system;

[0072]FIG. 34 is a diagram to help explain the state of the amount ofinformation stored in the semiconductor memory when there is a balancebetween the video information recording time and the access time in therecording system;

[0073]FIG. 35 is an explanatory diagram for comparison between skippingreplacement and linear replacement when the information recording andreproducing device manages defect management information;

[0074]FIG. 36 is a diagram to help explain an example of the opticalhead (pickup) moving over tracks;

[0075]FIG. 37 is a diagram to help explain the data structure of defectmanagement information on the information storage medium managed by theinformation recording and reproducing device in each embodiment of thepresent invention;

[0076]FIG. 38 is a diagram to help explain the data structure of defectmanagement information on the information storage medium managed by thefile system 2 in each embodiment of the present invention;

[0077]FIG. 39 is an explanatory diagram for comparison between skippingreplacement and linear replacement in management based on the defectmanagement information of FIG. 38;

[0078]FIG. 40 is a flowchart to help explain the procedure for creatinga replacement area setting file;

[0079]FIG. 41 is a flowchart to help explain a replacing process usingthe replacement area setting file;

[0080]FIG. 42 is a flowchart to help explain the procedure for creatinga replacement area setting file;

[0081]FIG. 43 is an explanatory diagram of additional recording videoinformation and an unused area in the contiguous data area in eachembodiment of the present invention;

[0082]FIG. 44 is an explanatory diagram of the recording location of theinformation length specified for each file and the attribute writinglocation for each extent (implementation use);

[0083]FIG. 45 is a diagram to help explain a method of deleting part ofan AV file in each embodiment of the present invention;

[0084]FIG. 46 is a diagram to help explain another method of deletingpart of an AV file in each embodiment of the present invention;

[0085]FIG. 47 is a diagram to help explain still another method ofdeleting part of an AV file in each embodiment of the present invention;

[0086]FIG. 48 is a diagram to help explain the contents of thecontiguous data area boundary position information and its recordinglocation in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0087]FIG. 49 is a diagram to help explain a method of recording dataincluding a defective area in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0088]FIG. 50A is a diagram to help explain a method of recording data,avoiding a defective area, in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0089]FIG. 50B is a diagram to help explain a method of recording data,avoiding a defective area in another embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0090]FIG. 51 is a diagram to help explain a method of setting acontiguous data area and a method of presetting an extent beforerecording in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0091]FIG. 52 schematically shows the configuration of an informationrecording and reproducing device according to the present invention;

[0092]FIGS. 53A, 53B, and 53C are diagrams to help explain the problemsof write commands;

[0093]FIG. 54 schematically shows the procedure for recording videoinformation by the information recording method of the presentinvention;

[0094]FIG. 55 shows the details of step ST01 of FIG. 54;

[0095]FIG. 56 shows the details of step ST02 of FIG. 54;

[0096]FIG. 57 shows the details of step ST03 of FIG. 54;

[0097]FIG. 58 shows the details of step ST04 of FIG. 54;

[0098]FIG. 59 is an explanatory diagram showing the location whereidentification information about an AV file according to the presentinvention has been recorded;

[0099]FIG. 60 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of thelocation where identification information about an AV file according tothe present invention has been recorded;

[0100]FIG. 61 is a conceptual diagram to help explain a method ofrecording video information continuously according to the presentinvention;

[0101]FIG. 62 is an explanatory diagram of commands used in recordinginformation onto an information storage medium according to anembodiment of the present invention;

[0102]FIG. 63 is a diagram to help explain a method of recordinginformation onto an information storage medium according to anembodiment of the present invention;

[0103]FIG. 64 is a diagram to help explain a method of recordinginformation onto an information storage medium according to anembodiment of the present invention;

[0104]FIG. 65 is a diagram to help explain a method of recordinginformation onto an information storage medium according to anembodiment of the present invention;

[0105]FIG. 66 is an explanatory diagram of commands used in recordinginformation onto an information storage medium according to anembodiment of the present invention;

[0106]FIG. 67 is a diagram to help explain a method of recordinginformation onto an information storage medium according to anembodiment of the present invention;

[0107]FIG. 68 is a diagram to help explain a method of recordinginformation onto an information storage medium according to anembodiment of the present invention;

[0108]FIG. 69 is a diagram to help explain a method of recordinginformation onto an information storage medium according to anembodiment of the present invention;

[0109]FIG. 70 shows the procedure for reproducing video information bythe information recording method according to the present invention;

[0110]FIG. 71 shows the procedure for deleting part of an AV file in theinformation recording method and reproducing method according to thepresent invention;

[0111]FIG. 72 is a diagram to help explain a recording and deletingmethod viewed from a video recording/reproducing application in anembodiment of the information recording method and reproducing methodaccording to the present invention;

[0112]FIG. 73 is a diagram to help explain a case where new informationis recorded in such a manner that it is overwritten from the middle ofthe existing contiguous data area in the information recording methodaccording to the present invention;

[0113]FIG. 74 is a diagram to help explain a case where new informationis recorded in such a manner that it is overwritten as far as the middleof the existing contiguous data area in the information recording methodaccording to the present invention;

[0114]FIG. 75 is a diagram to help explain a case where part of an AVfile is deleted in contiguous data area units in the informationrecording method according to the present invention;

[0115]FIG. 76 is a diagram to help explain the process of recordingvideo data in an embodiment of the information recording methodaccording to the present invention;

[0116]FIG. 77 is a diagram to help explain the process of recordingvideo data in the embodiment of the information recording methodaccording to the present invention;

[0117]FIG. 78 is a diagram to help explain the process of recordingvideo data in the embodiment of the information recording methodaccording to the present invention;

[0118]FIG. 79 is a flowchart to help explain the process of creating areplacement-only file in the information recording method according tothe present invention;

[0119]FIG. 80 is a flowchart to help explain a replacing process using areplacement-only file in the information recording method according tothe present invention;

[0120]FIG. 81 shows the remaining part of the flowchart of FIG. 80;

[0121]FIG. 82 shows still another embodiment of the informationrecording method according to the present invention;

[0122]FIG. 83 shows another embodiment of the extent attributeinformation recording method in the information recording methodaccording to the present invention;

[0123]FIG. 84 shows a package of a disk according to the presentinvention;

[0124]FIG. 85 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship betweenthe AV data recording area and ECC blocks recorded by the informationrecording method according to the present invention;

[0125]FIG. 86 shows an example of the information recording methodaccording to the present invention, specifically an example of dataprocessing at the beginning of writing;

[0126]FIG. 87 is an explanatory diagram showing an example ofdescription of the file structure using extents in a file descriptivestatement related to the information recording method according to thepresent invention; and

[0127]FIG. 88 is an explanatory diagram showing a method of allocatingextents to an unrecorded area by the information recording methodaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0128] Hereinafter, referring to the accompanying drawings, embodimentsof the present invention will be explained.

[0129] Table 1 and Table 2 shown at the end of the specification listnot only the functions necessary in recording audio and video(hereinafter, abbreviated as AV) information onto an information storagemedium but also the expectable effects unique to the present invention.

[0130] Table 3 shows the relationship between the application, filesystem, and optical disk drive classified in Table 1 and Table 2. Theoptical disk drive is abbreviated as the ODD (Optical Disk Drive). TheODD in Table 3 is the same as the information recording and reproducingdevice 140 in, for example, a personal computer (abbreviated as PC)system explained later. The programs of the file system and videorecording and reproducing application software (abbreviated asrecording/reproducing application) are generally stored in the hard diskdrive (abbreviated as HDD) 121 in, for example, the PC system explainedlater. The file system is transferred to a main memory 112 at the timeof start-up of a personal computer (PC) system 110. When the videorecording and reproducing application software program is used, therecording/reproducing application program is transferred to the mainmemory 112.

[0131] First, the PC system will be explained by reference to FIG. 1.The reason is that the objects of the present invention are realizedusing all or part of the elements constituting the personal computer.

[0132]FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the PC system using aninformation reproducing device.

[0133] 5A . . . Explanation of the Internal Structure of the PersonalComputer

[0134] 5A-1 . . . Explanation of the Data/Address Lines ConnectedDirectly to the Main CPU

[0135] A main CPU 111 in the personal computer 110 includes memory datalines 114 that provide direct input and output of information with themain memory 112 and memory address lines 113 that specify the addressfor a piece of information recorded in the main memory 112. According tothe program loaded into the main memory 112, the CPU 111 executesprocesses. Furthermore, the main CPU 111 transfers information viainput/output (I/O) data lines 146 to various types of controllers. Byaddress specification via I/O address lines 145, the main CPU 111specifies not only an information transfer destination controller butalso the contents of the information to be transferred.

[0136]5A-2 . . . Explanation of Cathode-ray Tube (CRT) Display Controland Keyboard Control

[0137] A liquid-crystal device (LCD) controller 115 that performsdisplay content control of a CRT display 116 exchanges information withthe main CPU 111 via the memory data lines 114. There is furtherprovided a video RAM 117 as a memory dedicated to the CRT display 116 torealize high resolution and a wide variety of colors in representation.An LCD controller 115 is capable of taking in the information directlyfrom the main memory 112 via the memory data lines 114 and displayingthe information on the CRT display 116. The numeral keypad informationinputted from a keyboard 119 is converted by a keyboard controller 118.The converted information is inputted to the main CPU 111 via I/O datalines 146.

[0138] 5A-3 . . . Explanation of a Built-in Hard Disk Drive (HDD)/theControl System of the Information Reproducing Device

[0139] An IDE interface is often used as an optical informationreproducing device 122 in an HDD 121 built in the personal computer 110or a CD-ROM drive/DVD-ROM drive. The playback information from the HDD121 or information reproducing device 122 or the recording informationto the HDD 121 is transferred to the I/O data lines 146 via an IDEcontroller 120.

[0140] When the HDD 121 is used as a boot disk, the main CPU 111accesses the HDD 121 at the start-up of the personal computer system 110and transfers the necessary information from the HDD 121 to the mainmemory 112.

[0141] 6A-4 . . . Explanation of a Serial/Parallel Interface (I/F) withthe Outside World

[0142] Serial lines and parallel lines are provided for informationtransfer with external units for the personal computer system 110.

[0143] A parallel I/F controller 123, represented by “CENTRO”, thatcontrols the parallel lines is used when, for example, a printer 124 ora scanner 125 are driven directly without using a network. Theinformation transferred from the scanner 125 is transferred to the I/Odata lines 146 via the parallel I/F controller 123. The informationtransferred over the I/O data lines 146 is transferred to the printer124 via the parallel I/F controller 123.

[0144] For example, when the information in a video RAM 117 displayed onthe CRT display 116 or a specific piece of information in the mainmemory 112 is printed out, these pieces of information are transferredto the I/O data lines 146 via the main CPU 111 and thereafter areprotocol-converted by the parallel I/F controller 123. The convertedpieces of information are outputted to the printer 124.

[0145] As for serial information outputted to the outside world, theinformation transferred over the I/O data lines 146 isprotocol-converted by a serial I/F controller 130, which then outputsthe resulting signal as, for example, RS-232C signal e.

[0146] 5A-5 . . . Explanation of Bus Lines for Expanding Functions

[0147] The personal computer system 110 has various types of bus linesfor expanding functions. A desktop personal computer often has a PCI bus133 and an EISA bus 126 as bus lines. Each bus line is connected via aPCI bus controller 143 organ EISA bus controller 144 to the I/O datalines 146 and I/O address lines 145. Various boards connected to the buslines are divided into boards only for EISA bus 126 and boards only forPCI bus 133. Since the PCI bus 133 is relatively suitable for high-speedtransfer, the number of boards connected to the PCI bus 133 is larger inthe figure. However, use of boards only for EISA bus 126 enables a LANboard 139 or an SCSI board 138 to be connected to the EISA bus 126.

[0148] 5A-6 . . . Explanation of a Schematic Function of Each the BoardsConnected to Bus Lines

[0149] (Sound bluster board 127) . . . An audio signal inputted from amicrophone 128 is converted by a sound bluster board 127 into digitalinformation. The digital information passes through the EISA bus 126 andI/O data lines 146 and is inputted to the main memory 112, HDD 121, andinformation recording and reproducing device 140, which process theinformation. When wanting to listen to music or speech, the userspecified the file name recorded in the HDD 121, an HDD 141, theinformation reproducing device 122, or the information recording andreproducing device 140. Then, the digital sound source signal istransferred via the I/O data lines 146 and EISA bus 126 to the soundbluster board 127, which converts the signal into an analog signal andoutputs the resulting signal at a speaker 129.

[0150] (Dedicated DSP 137) . . . When a special process needs to beexecuted at high speed, a DSP 137 board only for the process can beconnected to bus lines.

[0151] (SCSI interface) . . . A SCSI interface is frequently used forthe input and output of information with an external storage device. TheSCSI board 138 performs protocol conversion or transfer informationformat conversion in order to transfer the SCSI format informationinputted and outputted from and to an external storage device, such asan information backup MT (magnetic tape) 142, an external stand-aloneHDD 141, or the information recording and reproducing device 140, to thePCI bus 133 or EISA bus 126.

[0152] (Board only for information compression and expansion) . . .Multimedia information, including sound, still pictures, and movingpictures, is subjected to information compression. The compressedinformation is recorded in the HDDs 121, 141, and information recordingand reproducing device 140 (information reproducing device 122). Theinformation recorded in the HDDs 121, 141, information recording andreproducing device 140, and information reproducing device 122 isexpanded. The expanded information is displayed on the CRT display 116or is used to drive the speaker 129. In addition, the audio signalinputted from the microphone 128 is subjected to informationcompression. The compressed information is recorded in the HDDs 121,141, or information recording and reproducing device 140.

[0153] Various types of dedicated boards are responsible for thefunction of compressing and expanding information. An audiocoding/decoding board 136 compresses and expands music and speechsignals. An MPEG board 134 compresses and expands moving pictures (videopictures). A JPEG board 135 compresses and expands still pictures.

[0154] 5B . . . Explanation of Connection of the Personal Computer withan External Network

[0155] 5B-1 . . . Explanation of Network Connection Using TelephoneLines

[0156] When the information needs to be transferred via a telephone linef to the outside world, a modem 131 is used. Specifically, to connect tothe desired called party by telephone, an NCU (Network Control Unit)(not shown) transmits the called-party's telephone number to thetelephone exchange via the telephone line f. After the telephone linehas been connected, the serial I/F controller 130 causes transferinformation format conversion and protocol conversion of the informationon the I/O data lines 146. The resulting digital signal, or RS-232Csignal, is converted by the modem 131 into an analog signal, which istransferred to the telephone line f.

[0157] 5B-2 . . . Explanation of Network Connection Using IEEE 1394

[0158] When multimedia information, including sound, still pictures, andmoving pictures, is transferred to an external device (not shown), theIEEE 1394 interface is suitable for this purpose.

[0159] If the necessary information about moving pictures or soundcannot be sent in a specific period of time, the movement of the picturewill be awkward or the sound will break off. To solve the problem, IEEE1394 has employed an isochronous transfer method where data transfer iscompleted at intervals of 125 μs. In IEEE 1394, although the isochronoustransfer is allowed to mix with normal asynchronous transfer, the upperlimit of the asynchronous transfer time in one cycle is a maximum of63.5 μs. The reason for this is that, if the asynchronous transfer timewere too long, isochronous transfer could not be guaranteed. In IEEE1394, SCSI commands (instruction set) can be used as they are.

[0160] An IEEE 1394 I/F board 132 subjects the information transmittedover the PCI bus 133 to information format conversion for isochronoustransfer, protocol conversion, automatic setting in topology, such assetting nodes, and other processes.

[0161] As described above, the IEEE 1394 I/F board 132 not onlytransfers the information in the personal computer system 110 as an IEEE1394 signal g to the outside world but also converts the IEEE 1394signal g sent from the outside world and transfers the resulting signalto the PCI bus 133.

[0162] 5B-3 . . . Explanation of Network Connection Using LAN

[0163] In local area information communication in a specific area, suchas a company, a government office, or a school, LAN signals are inputtedand outputted using LAN cables (not shown).

[0164] Communication protocols using LANs include TCP/IP and NetBEUI.Each type of protocol has its own data packet structure (or informationformat structure. The LAN board 139 causes the information formatconversion of the information transferred over the PCI bus 133 andcarries out the procedure process of communication with the outsideworld according to each type of protocol.

[0165] As an example, explanation will be given about the procedure fora case where a specific piece of file information recorded in the HDD121 is converted into a LAN signal h and the LAN signal is transferredto an external personal computer, EWS, or a network server (not shown)and about the information transfer route. Under the control of the IDEcontroller 120, the file directory recorded in the HDD 121 is outputted.The main CPU 111 records the resulting file list into the main memory112 and displays the same list on the CRT display 116. When the userenters the file name the user wants to transfer from the keyboard 119,its contents are recognized by the main CPU 111 via the keyboardcontroller 118. When the main CPU 111 informs the IDE controller 120 ofthe file name to be transferred, the HDD judges the information recordedlocation therein and accesses the location. Then, the HDD transfers theplayback information via the IDE controller 120 to the I/O data lines146. After the file information has been inputted from the I/O datalines 146 to the PCI bus controller 143, the file information istransferred via the PCI bus 133 to the LAN board 139. After the LANboard 139 has established a session with the transfer destinationthrough a series of communication procedures, it takes in the fileinformation from the PCI bus 133, converts the information into piecesof information with a data packet structure, and then transfers theresulting signals as LAN signals h to the outside world.

[0166] 5C . . . Explanation of Information Transfer from the InformationReproducing Device or Information Recording and Reproducing Device(Optical Disk Device)

[0167] 5C-1 . . . Explanation of Standard Interface and InformationTransfer Route

[0168] When the information reproducing device 122, a playback-onlyoptical disk, such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM, or the informationrecording and reproducing device, a recordable and reproducible opticaldisk, such as a DVD-RAM, a PD, or an MD, is incorporated into thepersonal computer 110, IDE, SCSI, and IEEE 1394 are available asstandard interfaces.

[0169] In general, the PCI bus controller 143 or the EISA bus controller144 has DMA therein. Control of DMA enables information to betransferred directly between individual blocks without the interventionof the main CPU 111.

[0170] For example, when the information in the information recordingand reproducing device 140 is transferred to the MPEG board 134, themain CPU 111 only gives a transfer instruction to the PCI bus controller143 and leaves the information transfer management to the DMA in the PCIbus controller. As a result, in parallel with actual informationtransfer, the main CPU can execute another process without botheringwith the information transfer process.

[0171] Similarly, when the information recorded in the informationreproducing device 122 is transferred to the HDD 141, the main CPU 111only gives a transfer instruction to the PCI bus controller 143 or IDEcontroller 120 and leaves the remaining information transfer managementto the defect management area (DMA) in the PCI bus controller 143 or theDMA in the IDE controller 120. 5C-2 . . . Explanation of the Function ofAuthentication

[0172] Although the DMA in the PCI bus controller 143, the DMA in theEISA bus controller 144, or the DMA in the IDE controller 120 managesthe information transfer process related to the information recordingand reproducing device 140 or information reproducing device 122 asdescribed above, the authentication function section of the informationrecording and reproducing device 140 or information reproducing device122 executes actual transfer processes.

[0173] In a DVD system, such as a DVD video, DVD-ROM, or DVD-R, videoand audio bit streams are recorded in the MPEG-2 program stream format.The audio streams, video streams, sub-picture streams, private streams,and others are recorded in a mixed manner. In reproducing theinformation, the information recording and reproducing device 140separates and extracts the audio streams, video streams, sub-picturestreams, private streams, and others from a program stream and transfersthe extracted streams via the PCI bus 133 directly to the audiocoding/decoding board 136, MPEG board 134, or JPEG board 135 without theintervention of the main CPU 111.

[0174] Similarly, the information reproducing device 122 separates andextracts various types of stream information from the reproduced programstream and transfers each piece of stream information via the I/O datalines 146 and PCI bus 133 directly (without the intervention of the mainCPU 111) to the audio coding/decoding board 136, MPEG board 134, or JPEGboard 135.

[0175] Each of the audio coding/decoding board 136, MPEG board 134, andJPEG board 135 includes the authentication function as the informationrecording and reproducing device 140 and information reproducing device122 do. Before information transfer, the work of authentication is donevia the PCI bus 33 (and the I/O data lines 146) between the informationrecording and reproducing device 140 and information reproducing device122 and the audio coding/decoding board 136, MPEG board 134, and JPEGboard 135. After the mutual authentication has been completed, the videostream information reproduced at the information recording andreproducing device 140 or information reproducing device 122 istransferred only to the MPEG board 134. Similarly, the audio streaminformation is transferred only to the audio coding/decoding board 136.The still picture stream is sent to the JPEG board 135 and the privatestream and text information are sent to the main CPU 111.

[0176] Table 4 shows the classification of embodiments of the presentinvention.

[0177] There are nine embodiments of the present invention which realizethe functions (effects) needed in recording AV information shown inTable 1 and Table 2.

[0178] Symbols used to distinguish between the embodiments include XX,XX-PS, LBN/ODD, LBN/ODD-PS, LBN/UDF, LBN/UDF-PS, LBN/UDF-CDAFi, LBN/XXX,and LBN/XXX-PS. In Table 4, the characteristic function of eachembodiment is summarized.

[0179] The leftmost column lists a case where logical block numbers(LBN) are not set for a defective location and a spare area and a casewhere logical block numbers are set for the latter. When logical blocknumbers are not set for a defective location and a spare area, thedefect management information is written in the defect managementinformation area (DMA).

[0180] The top row lists a case where an extra spare area is not securedbeforehand in creating a contiguous data area (CDA) and a case where anextra spare area is secured. The rightmost column lists a managementlocation and management method of an unused area in an AV file.

[0181] Table 5 lists the effects produced when the individualembodiments are used.

[0182] Before explanation of concrete embodiments of the presentinvention, an embodiment where a DVD-RAM disk is used as an informationstorage medium and a universal disk format (UDF) is used as a filesystem will be explained.

[0183] First, a DVD-RAM disk will be explained before explanation ofconcrete embodiments of the present invention.

[0184]FIG. 2 is a diagram to help explain the layout of the schematicrecorded contents of a DVD-RAM disk. The lead-in area 607 on the diskinner edge side is composed of an embossed data zone 611 where theoptical reflecting surface is uneven, a mirror zone 612 where thesurface is a flat mirror, and a rewritable data zone 613 whereinformation can be rewritten. The embossed data zone 611 includes areference signal zone 635 representing a reference signal and a controldata zone 655 as shown in FIG. 3. The mirror zone 612 includes aconnection zone 657.

[0185] The rewritable data zone 613 includes a disk test zone 658, adrive test zone 660, a disk identification zone 662 with the disk ID(identifier), and a defect management area (DMA1 and DMA2) 663.

[0186]FIG. 4 shows a lead-out area 609 on the disk outer edge side. Thelead-out area 609 is composed of a rewritable data zone 645 including adefect management area (DMA3 and DMA4) 691, a disk identification zone692 with the disk ID (identifier), a drive test zone 694, and a diskdrive test zone 695.

[0187] The data area 608 between the lead-in area 607 and lead-out area609 is divided into 24 tree-ring-like zone (00) 620 to zone (23) 643.When the disk is rotated, each zone has a constant rotational speed. Therotational speed, however, differs from zone to zone. In addition, thenumber of sectors constituting each zone differs from one zone toanother. Specifically, zone (00) 620 and others on the disk inner edgeside are faster in the rotational speed and smaller in the number ofsectors. On the other hand, zone (23) 643 and others on the disk outeredge side are slower in the rotational speed and larger in the number ofsectors. Such a layout realizes high-speed access as seen in therotation with a constant angular velocity (CAV) in each zone. From theviewpoint of the zones as a whole, such high-density recording byrotation with a constant linear velocity (CLV) is realized.

[0188]FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams to help explain the details of thelead-in area 607 and lead-out area 609 in the layout of FIG. 2.

[0189] In the control data zone 655 of the embossed data zone 611, thefollowing have been recorded: a book type and part version 671indicating the type of DVD standards applied (e.g., DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, orDVD-R) and a part version), a disk size and minimum read-out rate 672indicating the disk size and minimum read-out rate, a disk structure 673indicating a disk structure, such as a single-layer ROM disk, asingle-layer RAM disk, or a two-layer ROM disk, recording density 674indicating the recording density, a data area location 657 representingthe location where data has been recorded, a burst cutting area (BCA)descriptor 676 in which the serial number and others unique to eachinformation storage medium have been recorded in a non-rewritablemanner, velocity 677 indicating the linear velocity condition forspecifying the exposure in recording, read power 678 representing theexposure for the information storage medium in playback, peak power 679representing the maximum exposure to the information storage medium tocreate a recording mark in recording, bias power 680 representing themaximum exposure to the information storage medium in deletion, andinformation about the manufacture of the medium.

[0190] In other words, information on the whole information storagemedium, such as physical sector numbers representing the recording startand recording end locations, information including recording power,recording pulse width, delete power, playback power, and linear velocityin recording and deleting, information about recording, reproducing, anddeleting characteristics, and information about the manufacture of theinformation storage medium, such as the serial number of each disk, havebeen recorded beforehand in the control data zone 655.

[0191] The rewritable data zones 613, 645 of the lead-in area 607 andlead-out area 609 are provided with disk identification zones 662, 692for each disk, trial recording zones (drive test zones 660, 694 and disktest zones 659, 695 for checking the conditions for recording anddeleting), and management information recording areas (defect managementareas DMA1 & DMA2 663 and DMA3 & DMA4 691) pertaining to a defectivearea in the data area, respectively. Use of these zones enables bestrecording to be done on each disk.

[0192]FIG. 5 is a diagram to help explain the details of the data area608 in the layout of FIG. 2.

[0193] Twenty-four groups are allocated to every 24 zones. Each groupincludes a pair of a user area 723 used for data recording and a sparearea 724 used for a replacing process. The pair of a user area 723 and aspare area 724 is separated by guard areas 771, 772 zone by zone.Moreover, the user area 723 and spare area 724 in each group fit inzones with the same rotational speed. Smaller group numbers belong tothe high-speed rotation zone and larger group numbers belong to thelow-speed rotation zone.

[0194] Although the groups in the low-speed rotation zone have moresectors than those in the high-speed rotation zone, the low-speedrotation zone has a larger radius of gyration and therefore the physicalrecording density on the disk becomes almost uniform all over the zone(or the groups).

[0195] In each group, the user area 723 is positioned at a smallersector number (or on the inner edge side of the disk) and the spare area724 is positioned at a larger sector number (or on the outer edge sideof the disk).

[0196] Next, explanation will be given about the recording signalstructure of information recorded on a DVD-RAM disk serving as aninformation storage medium and about a method of creating the recordingsignal structure. Here, the contents of information recorded on themedium themselves are called “information” and the structure orexpression after information with the same contents has been scrambledor modulated, or the connection between state “1” and state “0” afterthe signal mode has been converted, is expressed as “signal.” In thisway, “information” and “signal” are used to discriminate between themsuitably.

[0197]FIG. 6 is a diagram to help explain the structure of a sectorincluded in the data area part of FIG. 5. One sector 501 a of FIG. 6corresponds to one of the sector numbers of FIG. 5 and contains 2048bytes as shown in FIG. 7. Each sector includes headers 573, 574 recordedbeforehand in an uneven manner, such as an embossed manner, on therecording surface of the information storage medium (DVD-RAM disk) (notshown) at its head and further includes synchronous codes 575, 576 andmodulated signals 577, 578 alternately.

[0198] Next, a method of processing error correction code (ECC) blocksin a DVD-RAM disk will be explained.

[0199]FIG. 7 is a diagram to help explain the recording units ofinformation (or the units of error correction code) included in the dataarea 608 of FIG. 2.

[0200] In FAT (file allocation table) widely used in a file system forinformation storage mediums (hard disks HDD or magneto-optical disks MO)for personal computers, information is recorded onto an informationstorage medium in the smallest units of 256 bytes or 512 bytes.

[0201] In contrast, such an information storage medium as a CD-ROM,DVD-ROM, or DVD-RAM uses UDF (Universal Disk Format), explained indetail later, as a file system and records information on an informationstorage medium in the smallest units of 2048 bytes. The smallest unit iscalled a sector. Specifically, in an information storage medium usingUDF, information is recorded in units of 2048 bytes in each sector 501as shown in FIG. 7.

[0202] Since a CD-ROM and a DVD-ROM are handled in a bare manner withoutusing a cartridge, the surface of the information storage medium isliable to be damaged or dust tends to adhere to the surface on the userside. The effect of dust stuck to or a flaw in the surface of theinformation storage medium might prevent a specific sector (for example,sector 501 c in FIG. 7) from being reproduced from (or recorded onto).

[0203] DVD has employed an error correction method (ECC using productcode) taking such a situation into account. Specifically, 16 sectors (inFIG. 7, 16 sectors from sector 501 a to sector 501 p) constitute one ECCblock 502, which is provided with a powerful error correction function.As a result, for example, even if such an error has occurred in ECCblock 502 as prevents sector 501 c from being reproduced from, the erroris corrected and all the information in ECC block 502 can be reproducedcorrectly.

[0204]FIG. 8 shows the relationship between zones and groups (see FIG.5) in the data area 608 of FIG. 2.

[0205] The individual zones in FIG. 2, zone (00) 620 to zone (23) 643,are positioned physically on the recording surface of a DVD-RAM disk. Aswritten in the column for physical sector number 604 of FIG. 2 and inFIG. 8, the physical sector number of the first physical sector (startphysical sector 701) in the user area (00) 705 in the data area 608 isset to 031000h (h: means hexadecimal representation). The physicalsector number increases as the location is closer to the outer edge 704.Consecutive physical sector numbers are allocated, regardless of userarea (00) 705, user area (01) 709, user area (23) 707, spare area (00)708, spare area (01) 709, spare area (23) 710, and guard areas 711, 712,713. Consequently, the continuity of physical sector numbers holds overzone 620 to zone 643.

[0206] In contrast, group 714 is composed of a pair of user area 705 andspare area 708, group 715 is composed of a pair of user area 706 andspare area 709, and group 716 is composed of a pair of user area 707 andspare area 710. Guard area 711 is inserted between groups 714 and 715.Guard areas 712, 713 are inserted between groups 715 and 716. As aresult, the physical numbers extending over the groups 714, 715, 716 arediscontinuous. For example, because guard area 711 exists between groups714 and 715, the physical sector numbers between groups 714 and 715 arediscontinuous.

[0207] When a DVD-RAM disk with the configuration of FIG. 8 is used inan information recording and reproducing device with an informationrecording and reproducing section (physical system block) explainedlater, the rotational speed of the DVD-RAM disk can be switched, whilean optical head 202 is passing over guard areas 711, 712, 713. Forexample, while the optical head 202 is passing over guard area 711,seeking from group (00) 705 to group (01) 715, the rotational speed ofthe DVD-RAM disk is switched.

[0208]FIG. 9 is a diagram to help explain a method of setting logicalsector numbers in the data area 608 of FIG. 2. The smallest unit oflogical sector coincides with the smallest unit of physical unit andcontains 2048 bytes. Each logical sector is allocated to thecorresponding physical sector location according to the following rule.

[0209] As shown in FIG. 8, because the guard areas 711, 712, 713 areprovided physically on the recording surface of the DVD-RAM, thephysical sector numbers extending over the groups 714, 715, 716 arediscontinuous. The logical sector numbers, however, are set in such amanner that they succeed one another consecutively, extending over group(00) 714, group (01) 715, and group (23) 716. In the arrangement ofgroup (01) 715 to group (23) 716, smaller group numbers (smallerphysical sector numbers) are positioned on the inner edge side of theDVD-RAM disk (on the lead-in area 607 side) and larger group numbers(larger physical sector numbers) are located on the outer edge side ofthe DVD-RAM disk (on the lead-out area 609 side).

[0210] In the arrangement, when there is no defect in the recordingsurface of the DVD-RAM disk, the individual logical sectors areallocated to all the physical sectors in user area (00) 705 to user area(23) 707 of FIG. 8 with a one-to-one correspondence. The logical sectornumber of the sector at the location of the start physical sector number701 whose physical sector number is 031000h is set to 0h (refer to thecolumn for the logical sector number 774 of the first sector in eachgroup of FIG. 5).

[0211] As described above, where there is no defect in the recordingsurface, no logical sector number has been set for each sector in sparearea (00) 708 to spare area (23) 710 beforehand.

[0212] At the time of a certify process, the process of sensing thelocation of a defect in the recording surface, carried out beforerecording on the DVD-RAM disk, or of playback, or when a defectivesector has been found in user area (00) 705 to user area (23) 707 inrecording, as many logical sector numbers as are equal to the number ofsectors substituted are set for the corresponding sectors in spare area(00) 708 to spare area (23) 710 as a result of the switching process.

[0213] Next, several methods of processing a defect occurred in the userarea will be explained. Before that, the defect management areanecessary to process a defect (the defect management area (DMA1 to DMA 4663, 691) in FIG. 3 or 4) and its related matters will be explained.

[0214] (Defect Management Area)

[0215] A defect management area (DAM1 to DMA4 663, 691) includesinformation on the structure of a data are and defect management andcontains 32 sectors. Two defect management areas (DMA1, DMA2 663) arelocated in the lead-in area 607 on the DVD-RAM disk the other two defectmanagement areas (DMA3, DMA4 691) are positioned in the lead-out area609 on the DVD-RAM disk. Spare sectors are added behind each of thedefect management areas (DMA1 to DMA4 663, 691), if necessary.

[0216] Each of the defect management areas (DMA1 to DMA4 663, 691) isdivided into two blocks. The first block of each of the defectmanagement areas (DMA1 to DMA4 663, 691) includes a DVD- M diskdefinition structure (DDS) and a primary defect list (PDL). The secondblock of each of the defect management areas (DMA1 to DMA4 663, 691)includes a secondary defect list (SDL). The four primary defect lists(PDL) of the four defect management areas (DMA1 to DMA4 663, 691) havethe same contents and their four secondary defect lists (SDL) also havethe same contents.

[0217] Although the four disk definition structures (DDS) of the fourdefect management areas (DMAL to DMA4 663, 691) have basically the samecontents, the four defect management areas differ in the pointers totheir PDL and SDL.

[0218] Here, a DDS/PDL block means the first block including DDS andPDL. An SDL block means the second block including SDL.

[0219] The contents of each of the defect management areas (DMA1 to DMA4663, 691) after the DVD-RAM disk has been initialized are as follows:

[0220] (1) The first sector of each DDS/PDL block includes DDS.

[0221] (2) The second sector of each DDS/PDL block includes PDL.

[0222] (3) The first sector of each SDL block includes SDL.

[0223] The block length of a primary defect list PDL and that of thesecondary defect list are determined by the number of entries. Theunused sectors in each of the defect management areas (DMAL to DMA4 663,691) are written with the data OFFh until they are filled with the data0FFh. Moreover, all the spare sectors are written with 00h until theyare filled with 00h.

[0224] (Disk Definition Information)

[0225] The disk definition structure is composed of a table with alength of one sector. The DDS includes a method of initializing the disk10 and the contents that determine the start address of PDL and that ofSDL. The DDS is recorded in the first sector of each defect managementarea (DMA) at the end of initializing the disk 10.

[0226] (Spare Sector)

[0227] A defective sector in each data area 608 is replaced with(switched to) a good sector by a specific defect management method(verification, slipping replacement, skipping replacement, and linearreplacement explained layer). The locations of the spare sectors forreplacement are included in spare area (00) 708 to spare area (23) 710of each group. The physical sectors in each spare area are written inthe column for the spare area 724 of FIG. 5.

[0228] A defective sector is processed by a slipping replacementalgorithm, a skipping replacement algorithm, or a linear replacementalgorithm. The total of entries listed in the PDL and SDL by thesealgorithms is set at a specific number, for example, 4092 or less.

[0229] (Initialization and Certification)

[0230] Before the user information is recorded in the data area 608 onthe DVD-RAM disk, the data area 608 is often initialized to certify thedefect state of all the sectors in the data area 608. According to thenumber of consecutive defective sectors, the slipping replacementalgorithm or linear replacement algorithm supplements the defectivesectors in the user area 723 with spare sectors in the spare area 274.When all the spare sectors in the zones on the DVD-RAM have been used upin the middle of certification, the DVD-RAM disk is judged to bedefective. Thereafter, the DVD-RAM disk is not supposed to be used.

[0231] The parameters in all the disk definition structures DDS arerecorded in the four DDS sectors. The primary defect list PDL andsecondary defect list SDL are recorded in the four defect managementareas (DMAL to DMA4 663, 691). In the first initialization, the updatecounter in the SDL is set to 00h and all the reserved blocks are writtenwith 00h until they are filled with 00h.

[0232] When the disk 10 is used to store computer data, theinitialization and certification are performed. When it is used forvideo recording, video recording might be done without performinginitialization and certification.

[0233] In FIG. 10, a and b indicate diagrams to help explain theslipping replacement algorithm in the data area 608 of FIG. 2.

[0234] Immediately after the manufacture of DVD-RAM disks (when no userinformation has been recorded on disks), or when user information isrecorded for the first time (that is, when information is not recordedover an already recorded location, but is recorded in an unrecorded areafor the first time), the slipping replacement algorithm is applied as adefect processing method.

[0235] Specifically, the found defective data sectors (for example, mdefective sectors 731) are replaced with good sectors (user area 723 b)first encountered after the defective sectors (replacement algorithm734). As a result, slipping is done by m sectors toward the end of therelevant group (backward shift in the logical sector numbers).Similarly, thereafter, when n defective sectors 732 are found, thedefective sectors are replaced with good sectors (user area 723 c) firstencountered after the defective sectors. The locations at which logicalsector numbers are set are shifted backward. As a result of thereplacement, logical sector numbers are allocated to m+n sectors 737,beginning at the start of the spare area 724, thereby forming a userinformation recordable area. Consequently, the unused area 726 in thespare area 724 is decreased by m+m sectors.

[0236] At this time, the addresses for the defective sectors are writtenin the primary defect list (PDL) and the user information is prohibitedfrom being recorded in the defective sectors. If no defective sector hasbeen found during certification, nothing will be written in the PDL.Similarly, if a defective sector has been also found in the recordingarea 743 in the spare area 724, the address for the spare sector will bealso written in the PDL.

[0237] As a result of the slipping replacement algorithm, the user areas723 a to 723 c without defective sectors and the recording area 743 inthe spare area 724 become the information recording part (logical sectornumber setting area 735) of the group, to which consecutive logicalsector numbers are allocated.

[0238] In FIG. 10, c indicates a diagram to help explain the skippingreplacement algorithm, another replacement algorithm, in the data area608 of FIG. 2.

[0239] The skipping replacement algorithm is a processing methodsuitable for defect processing in a case where user information, such asvideo information or audio information, needs to be recorded seamlesslywithout a break. The skipping replacement algorithm is executed in unitsof 16 sectors, that is, in ECC blocks (that is, in units of 32 kilobytessince one sector contains 2 kilobytes).

[0240] For example, if one defective ECC block 741 has been found afterthe user area 732 a composed of good ECC blocks, the data to be recordedin the defective ECC block 741 will be recorded in an ECC block in agood user area 723 b just behind instead (replacement algorithm 744).Similarly, if k consecutive defective ECC blocks 742 have been found,the data to be recorded in these defective blocks 742 will be recordedin k consecutive ECC blocks in a good user area 723 c just behindinstead.

[0241] In this way, when an l+k number of defective ECC blocks have beenfound in the user area in the relevant group, (l+k) ECC blocks eat intothe spare area 724 and the extended area 743 used to record informationin the spare area 724 becomes a user information recordable area, towhich a logical sector number is allocated. As a result, the unused area726 in the spare area 724 decreases by (l+k) ECC blocks, with the resultthat the remaining unused area 746 become smaller.

[0242] As a result of the replacement, the user areas 723 a to 723 c arefree from defective ECC blocks and the extended area used forinformation recording becomes the information recording part (logicalsector number setting area) in the group. The logical sector numbersetting method is characterized in that the user areas 723 a to 723 cfree from defective ECC blocks are such that their logical sectornumbers allocated beforehand in the initial setting (before thereplacement process) remain unchanged.

[0243] As a result, a logical sector number allocated beforehand to eachphysical sector in the defective ECC block 741 in the initial setting ismoved as it is and set in the first physical sector in the extended area743 used for information recording. The logical sector numbers allocatedto the individual physical sectors in the k consecutive defective ECCblocks 742 in the initial setting are moved in parallel as they are andset in the relevant physical sectors in the extended area 743 used forinformation recording.

[0244] In the skipping replacement algorithm, even if the DVD-RAM diskhas not been certified beforehand, the replacement process can beperformed on the defective sectors found in the course of recording theuser information.

[0245] In FIG. 10, d indicates a diagram to help explain the linearreplacement algorithm, still another replacement algorithm, in the dataarea 608 of FIG. 2.

[0246] The linear replacement algorithm is executed in units of 16sectors, that is, in ECC blocks (or in units of 32 kilobytes). In thelinear replacement algorithm, the defective ECC block 751 is replacedwith a usable good spare block (the first alternative recording part 753in the spare area 724) first encountered in the relevant group(replacement process 758). In the replacement process, not only the userinformation to be recorded in the defective ECC block 751 is recorded inthe alternative recording part 753 in the spare area 724, but also thelogical sector number setting location is also recorded as it is in thealternative recording part 753. Similarly, the user information andlogical sector number setting location to be recorded in k consecutivedefective ECC blocks 752 are moved to an alternative recording part 754in the spare area 724.

[0247] In the linear replacement algorithm and skipping replacementalgorithm, the address for the defective block and the address for thelast replacement block are written into the SDL. When the replacementblocks listed in the SDL (secondary defect list) have turned out to bedefective blocks, entries are made in the SDL using a direct pointermethod. In the direct pointer method, the address for the replacementblock is changed from the address for the defective block to a new one,thereby amending-the entries in the SDL. To update the secondary defectlist SDL, the update counter in the SDL is incremented by one.

[0248] (Writing)

[0249] When data is written in a sector in a group, the defectivesectors listed in the primary defect list (PDL) are skipped. Then, bythe aforementioned slipping replacement algorithm, the data to bewritten in the defective sector is written into a data sectorencountered next. If the block to be written into has been listed in thesecondary defect list (SDL), the data to be written into the block willbe written into the spare block specified by the SDL according to theaforementioned linear replacement algorithm or skipping replacementalgorithm.

[0250] In the environment of a personal computer, the linear replacementalgorithm is used to record personal computer files and the skippingreplacement algorithm is used to record AV files.

[0251] (Primary Defect List PDL)

[0252] Although the primary defect list (PDL) is always recorded in aDVD-RAM disk, the contents of the list may be empty.

[0253] The PDL includes the addresses for all the defective sectorsdetermined in the initialization. These addresses are listed inascending order. The PDL is recorded in the necessary minimum number ofsectors. The PDL starts at the first user byte in the first sector. Allthe unused bytes in the last sector in the PDL are set to 0FFh. In thePDL, the following information is written:

[0254] Byte Location: Contents of PDL

[0255] 0 00h: PDL identifier

[0256] 1 01h: PDL identifier

[0257] 2 The number of addresses in PDL: MSB

[0258] 3 The number of addresses in PDL: LSB

[0259] 4 Address for the first defective sector (sector number: MSB)

[0260] 5 Address for the first defective sector (sector number)

[0261] 6 Address for the first defective sector (sector number)

[0262] 7 Address for the first defective sector (sector number: LSB)

[0263] . . .

[0264] x-3 Address for the last defective sector (sector number: MSB)

[0265] x-2 Address for the last defective sector (sector number)

[0266] x-1 Address for the last defective sector (sector number)

[0267] x Address for the last defective sector (sector number)

[0268] * NOTE: When the second byte and third bytes are set to 00h, thethird byte is at the end of the PDL.

[0269] In the case of a primary defect list (PDL) for multi-sectors, anaddress list of defective sectors follows the first byte in the secondor later sectors. Namely, the PDL identifier and the number of PDLaddresses exist only in the first sector. When the PDL is empty, thesecond byte and third byte are set to 00h and the fourth byte to the2047^(th) byte are set to FFh.

[0270] The unused sectors in the DDS/PDL block are written with FFh.

[0271] (Secondary Defect List SDL)

[0272] The secondary defect list (SDL) is created at the initializingstage and used after a Certify operation. In initialization, the SDL isrecorded onto all the disks.

[0273] The SDL includes entries in the form of the addresses fordefective data blocks and the addresses for spare blocks to be replacedwith the defective blocks. Eight bytes are allocated to each entry inthe SDL. Specifically, of the eight bytes, four bytes are allocated tothe addresses for defective blocks and the remaining four bytes areallocated to the addresses for replacement blocks.

[0274] The address list includes the first address for the defectiveblocks and that for their replacement blocks. The addresses for thedefective blocks are assigned in ascending order.

[0275] The SDL is recorded in the necessary minimum number of sectors.The SDL starts at the first user data byte in the first sector. All theunused bytes in the last sector in the SDL are set to 0FFh. The piecesof information after that are recorded in each of the four SDLs.

[0276] When the replacement blocks listed in the SDL have turned out tobe defective blocks, entries are made in the SDL using a direct pointermethod. In the direct pointer method, the address for the replacementblock is changed from the address for the defective block to a new one,thereby amending the entries in the SDL in which the replaced defectiveblock has been registered. At that time, the number of entries in theSDL is not be changed by the degraded sectors.

[0277] In the SDL, the following information is written:

[0278] Byte Location: Contents of SDL

[0279] 0 (00): SDL identifier

[0280] 1 (01): SDL identifier

[0281] 2 (00)

[0282] 3 (01)

[0283] 4 Update counter: MSB

[0284] 5 Update counter

[0285] 6 Update counter

[0286] 7 Update counter: LSB

[0287] 8-26 Spares (00h)

[0288] 27-29 Flags indicating that all the spare sectors in the zonehave been used up

[0289] 30 The number of entries in the SDL: MSB

[0290] 31 The number of entries in the SDL: LSB

[0291] 32 The address for the first defective block (sector number: MSB)

[0292] 33 The address for the first defective block (sector number)

[0293] 34 The address for the first defective block (sector number)

[0294] 35 The address for the first defective block (sector number: LSB)

[0295] 36 The address for the first replacement block (sector number:MSB)

[0296] 37 The address for the first replacement block (sector number)

[0297] 38 The address for the first replacement block (sector number)

[0298] 39 The address for the first replacement block (sector number:LSB)

[0299] . . .

[0300] y-7 The address for the last defective block (sector number: MSB)

[0301] y-6 The address for the last defective block (sector number)

[0302] y-5 The address for the last defective block (sector number)

[0303] y-4 The address for the last defective block (sector number: LSB)

[0304] y-3 The address for the last replacement block (sector number:MSB)

[0305] y-2 The address for the last replacement block (sector number)

[0306] y-1 The address for the last replacement block (sector number)

[0307] y The address for the last replacement block (sector number: LSB)

[0308] * NOTE: Each entry at the 30^(th) and 31^(st) byte has aneight-byte length. In the case of a secondary defect list (SDL) formulti-sectors, an address list of defective sectors and replacementblocks follows the first byte in the second or later sectors. Namely,the 0^(th) byte to 31^(st) byte in the SDL exist only in the firstsector. The unused sectors in the SDL block are written with FFh.

[0309] Here, a device for recording or reproducing information onto orfrom the information storage medium (disk) will be explained.

[0310]FIG. 11 is a black diagram showing an example of the configurationof the information recording and reproducing section (physical systemblock) of an information recording and reproducing device.

[0311] Explanation of the Basic Functions of the Information Recordingand Reproducing Section

[0312] The information recording and reproducing section records newinformation or rewrites the information (or deletes the information) ata specific position on an information storage medium (optical disk) 201,using a condensed spot of a laser beam. The section further reproducesthe already recorded information at a specific position on theinformation storage medium 201, using the condensed spot of the laserbeam.

[0313] Explanation of Means for Achieving the Basic Functions of theInformation Storage Section

[0314] To achieve the basic functions, the recording and reproducingsection causes the condensed spot to trace (or follow) the track on theinformation storage medium 201. The section changes the amount (orintensity) of light of the condensed spot projected on the informationstorage medium 201, thereby switching between the recording,reproducing, and deleting of information. In addition, the sectionconverts an externally supplied recording signal d into a signal mostsuitable for recording in a high density at a low error rate.

[0315] Explanation of the Structure of the Mechanical Part and theOperation of the Sensing Part

[0316] <Basic structure of optical head 202 and signal sensing circuit>

[0317] <Sensing a signal by optical head 202>

[0318] The optical head 202 is basically composed of a semiconductorlaser element serving as a light source, a photodetector, and anobjective. The laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser elementis gathered by the objective onto the information storage medium(optical disk) 201. The laser light reflected from the reflecting filmor reflective recording film of the information storage medium 201 isphotoelectrically converted by the photodetector.

[0319] The sense current obtained by the photodetector is converted byan amplifier 213 into a voltage, which is a sense signal. The sensesignal is processed at a focus/track error sensing circuit 217 or abinarization circuit 212.

[0320] In general, the photodetector is divided into light sensing areasand senses a change in the amount of light projected onto each lightsensing area. The focus/track error sensing circuit 217 performsaddition or subtraction on each sense signal, thereby sensing a shift infocus and a shift in track. After a shift in focus and a shift in trackhave been virtually eliminated, the photodetector senses a change in theamount of reflected light from the reflecting film or reflectiverecording film of the information storage medium, thereby reproducingthe signal on the information storage medium 201.

[0321] <Method of sensing a shift in focus>

[0322] Methods of sensing the amount of a shift in focus include thefollowing:

[0323] (Astigmatism method) . . . A method of placing an optical element(not shown) for causing astigmatism in an optical path where the laserlight reflected by the reflecting film or reflective recording film ofthe information storage medium 201 is sensed and of sensing a change inthe shape of the laser light projected on the photodetector. The lightsensing area is quadrisected diagonally. The focus/track error sensingcircuit 217 finds out the sum of the sense signals from the sensingareas on each diagonal and calculates the difference between the sums,thereby obtaining a focus error sense signal.

[0324] (Knife edge method) . . . A method of placing a knife edge forasymmetrically shutting off part of the laser light reflected by theinformation storage medium 201. The light sensing area is bisected. Thedifference between the sense signals obtained from the respectivesensing areas is calculated, thereby obtaining a focus error sensesignal.

[0325] Generally, either the astigmatism method or knife edge method isused.

[0326] <Method of sensing a shift in track>

[0327] The information storage medium 210 has a spiral or concentrictrack, on which information is recorded. A condensed spot is caused totrace the track, thereby reproducing, recording, or deleting theinformation. To cause the condensed spot to trace the track stably, itis necessary to optically sense a relative positional gap between thetrack and condensed spot.

[0328] Methods of sensing a shift in track include the following:

[0329] (Phase difference sensing method) . . . A method of sensing achange in the intensity distribution on the photodetector of the laserlight reflected by the reflecting film or reflective recording film ofthe information storage medium (optical disk) 201. The light sensingarea is quadrisected diagonally. The focus/track error sensing circuit217 finds out the sum of the sense signals from the sensing areas oneach diagonal and calculates the difference between the sums, therebyobtaining a track error sense signal.

[0330] (Push-pull method) . . . A method of sensing a change in theintensity distribution on the photodetector of the laser light reflectedby the information storage medium 1201. The light sensing area isbisected. The difference between the sense signals obtained from therespective sensing areas is calculated, thereby obtaining a track errorsense signal.

[0331] (Twin-spot method) . . . A method of placing a diffractiongrating and the like in a light guiding system between the semiconductorlaser element and the information storage medium 201, dividing the lightinto wave surfaces, and sensing changes in the amount of reflected lightof the ± first-order diffraction light projected on the informationstorage medium 201. In addition to the light sensing area for sensingplayback signals, there are provided light sensing areas that sense theamount of reflected light of the + first-order diffraction light and theamount of reflected light of the − first-order diffraction lightseparately. The difference between the respective sense signals iscalculated, thereby obtaining a track error signal.

[0332] <Objective actuator structure>

[0333] The objective (not shown) that condenses the laser light emittedfrom the semiconductor laser element on the information storage medium201 is designed to be movable in the directions of two axes according tothe output current of an objective actuator driving circuit 218. Theobjective moves in the following two directions: it moves in thedirection perpendicular to the information storage medium 201 to correcta shift in focus; and it moves across the radius of the informationstorage medium 201 to correct a shift in track.

[0334] The moving mechanism (not shown) of the objective is called anobjective actuator. The following are often used for the objectiveactuator structure:

[0335] (Shaft sliding method) . . . A method of allowing a bladeintegral with the objective to move along the center shaft. In thismethod, the blade moves along the center shaft, thereby correcting ashift in focus. The blade rotates on the center shaft, therebycorrecting a shift in track.

[0336] (Four-wire method) . . . A method of moving a blade integral withthe objective in the directions of two axes making use of elasticdeformation of the wires, the blade being connected to a fixed systemwith four wires.

[0337] Both of the above methods have a structure that has a permanentmagnet and a coil and moves the blade by causing current to flow throughthe coil connected to the blade.

[0338] <Rotational control system of information storage medium 201>

[0339] The information storage medium (optical disk) 201 is mounted on aturntable 221, which is rotated by the driving force of a spindle motor204.

[0340] The number of revolutions of the information storage medium 10 issensed from the playback signal obtained from the information storagemedium 201. Specifically, the sense signal (analog signal) of the outputof the amplifier 213 is converted by the binarization circuit 212 into adigital signal. From the digital signal, a PLL circuit 211 generates aconstant period signal (reference clock signal). Using the signal, aninformation storage medium rotational speed sensing circuit 214 sensesthe number of revolutions of the information storage medium 201 andoutputs the value.

[0341] A correspondence table of the number of revolutions of theinformation storage medium corresponding to the positions on the radiuson the information storage medium 201 to be reproduced from or recordedonto/deleted from has been recorded beforehand in a semiconductor memory219. Once the reproduce position or record/delete position has beendetermined, a control section 220 refers to the semiconductor memory219, sets the target number of revolutions of the information storagemedium 201, and informs an spindle motor driving circuit 215 of thevalue.

[0342] The spindle motor driving circuit 215 calculates the differencebetween the target number of revolutions and the output signal (thepresent number of revolutions) of the information storage mediumrotational speed sensing circuit 214, supplies a driving current to thespindle motor 204 according to the result, and performs control so thatthe number of revolutions of the spindle motor 204 becomes constant. Theoutput signal of the information storage medium rotational speed sensingcircuit 214 is a pulse signal having a frequency corresponding to thenumber of revolutions of the information storage medium 201. The spindlemotor driving circuit 215 performs control (frequency control and phasecontrol) of both the frequency of the pulse signal and the pulse phase.

[0343] <Optical head moving mechanism>

[0344] The mechanism has an optical head moving mechanism (feed motor)203 for moving the optical head 202 across the radius of the informationstorage medium 201.

[0345] A rod-like guide shaft is often used as a guide mechanism formoving the optical head 202. The guide mechanism moves the optical head202 making use of friction between the guide shaft and the bush providedon part of the optical head 202. Instead, bearings may be used whichdecrease friction force using a rotary motion.

[0346] Although a method of transmitting the driving force to move theoptical head 202 is not shown, it is such that a rotary motor with apinion (rotating gear) is provided on the fixed system, a rack, a lineargear that engages with the pinion, is provided on one side of theoptical head 202, and the rotary motion of the rotary motor is convertedinto a linear motion of the optical head 202. Another driving forcetransmitting method is such that a permanent magnet is provided on thefixed system, current is caused to flow the coil mounted on the opticalhead 202, and the optical head is moved linearly.

[0347] Both of the rotary motor and linear motor methods basically causecurrent to flow through the feed motor, thereby producing driving forcefor driving the optical head 202. The driving current is supplied from amotor driving circuit 216.

[0348] <Function of each circuit>

[0349] <Condensed spot trace control>

[0350] To correct a shift in focus or a shift in track, there isprovided an objective actuator driving circuit 218 that supplies adriving current to the objective actuator (not shown) in the opticalhead 202 according to the output signal (sense signal) of thefocus/track error sensing circuit 217. To make the movement of theobjective respond at high speed as far as a high-frequency region, thedriving circuit 218 includes a phase compensating circuit for improvingcharacteristics according to the frequency characteristic of theobjective actuator.

[0351] Under the control of the control section 220, the objectiveactuator driving circuit 218 carries out the following:

[0352] (a) The process of turning on and off the operation of correctinga shift in focus and track (focus/track loop).

[0353] (b) The process of moving the objective in the vertical direction(focus direction) of the information storage medium 201 (executed whenthe focus/track loop is off).

[0354] (c) The process of slightly moving the objective across theradius of the information storage medium 201 (in the direction in whichthe spot traverses the track), thereby moving the condensed spot to anadjacent track. Kick pulses are used.

[0355] <Laser light amount control>

[0356] <Switching between reproduce and record/delete>

[0357] Switching between reproduce and record/delete is done by changingthe amount of light of the condensed spot projected on the informationstorage medium 201.

[0358] In the case of an information storage medium using a phase changemethod, the following relations generally holds:

(the amount of light in recording)>(the amount of light indeleting)>(the amount of light in reproducing)  (1)

[0359] In the case of an information storage medium using amagneto-optical method, the following relationship generally holds:

(the amount of light in recording)≈(the amount of light indeleting)>(the amount of light in reproducing)  (2)

[0360] In the magneto-optical method, the polarity of an externalmagnetic field (not shown) applied to the information storage medium 201is changed in recording/deleting, thereby controlling the processes ofrecording and deleting.

[0361] In reproducing information, a constant amount of light isprojected continuously on the information storage medium 201.

[0362] To record new information, a pulse-like intermittent amount oflight is added to the amount of light in reproducing. When thesemiconductor laser element emits pulses with a large amount of light,the reflective recording film of the information storage medium ischanged optically or in shape, thereby forming a recording mark. Towrite information over an already recorded area, the semiconductor laserelement is caused to emit pulses in a similar manner.

[0363] To delete the already recorded information, light with a constantamount of light greater than in reproducing is projected continuously.When the information is deleted continuously, the amount of lightprojected is returned to that in reproducing at specific intervals oftime, such as at intervals of each sector and the information isreproduced intermittently in parallel with the deleting process. Byreproducing the track numbers and addresses of the tracks deletedintermittently, the deleting process is executed, while a check is beingmade to see if there is no error in the deleted tracks.

[0364] <Laser light-emitting control>

[0365] Although not shown, the optical head 202 includes a photodetectorfor sensing the amount of light emitted by the semiconductor laserelement. A laser driving circuit 205 calculates the difference betweenthe output of the photodetector (the sense signal of the amount of lightemitted by the semiconductor laser element) and the light-emissionreference signal supplied from a record/reproduce/delete controlwaveform generator circuit 206 and, on the basis of the result, performsfeedback control of the driving current to the semiconductor laser.

[0366] <Various operations related to the control system of themechanical part>

[0367] <Start-up control>

[0368] After the information storage medium (optical disk) 201 has beenput on the turntable 221 and start-up control has been started,processes are carried out through the following procedure:

[0369] (1) The control section 220 informs the spindle motor drivingcircuit 215 of the target number of revolutions. Then, the spindle motordriving circuit 215 supplies a driving current to the spindle motor 204.The spindle motor 204 then starts to rotate.

[0370] (2) At the same time, the control circuit 220 sends a command(execute instruction) to the feed motor driving circuit 216. The feedmotor driving circuit 216 then supplies a driving current to the opticalhead driving mechanism (feed motor) 203, which moves the optical head202 to the innermost edge position of the information storage medium 10.As a result, a check is made to see if the optical head 202 has exceededthe area in which the information has been recorded on the informationstorage medium 201 and reached a further inner edge portion.

[0371] (3) When the spindle motor 204 has reached the target number ofrevolutions, its status (situation report) is sent to the controlsection 220.

[0372] (4) The semiconductor laser driving circuit 205 supplies currentto the semiconductor laser element in the optical head 202 according tothe reproduce light-amount signal sent from the control section 220 tothe record/reproduce/delete control waveform generator circuit 206,which starts laser light emission.

[0373] The optimum amount of light projected in reproducing differs,depending on the type of the information storage medium (optical disk)201. At start-up, the value of current supplied to the semiconductorlaser element is set to the value corresponding to the smallest one ofthe amounts of light projected.

[0374] (5) The objective actuator driving circuit 218 controls theobjective according to the command from the control section 220 in sucha manner that it moves the objective (not shown) in the optical head 202farthest from the information storage medium 201 and then brings theobjective closer to the information storage medium 201 gradually.

[0375] (6) At the same time, the focus/track error sensing circuit 217monitors the amount of shift in focus and, when the objective comescloser to the position at which the objective is in focus, sends thestatus to tell the control section 220 that the objective has comecloser to the focal point.

[0376] (7) Receiving the notice, the control section 220 sends a commandto the objective actuator driving circuit 218 to turn on the focus loop.

[0377] (8) With the locus loop on, the control section 220 sends acommand the feed motor driving circuit 216, which then moves the opticalhead 202 toward the outer edge of the information storage medium 201gradually.

[0378] (9) At the same time, the control section monitors the playbacksignal from the optical head 202 and, when the optical head 202 hasreached the recording area on the information storage medium 201, stopsthe movement of the optical head 202, and sends a command to the objectlens actuator driving circuit 218 to turn on the track loop.

[0379] (10) Then, “the optimum amount of light in reproducing” and “theoptimum amount of light in recording/deleting recorded” recorded on theinner edge part of the information storage medium 201 are reproduced andthe resulting information is recorded in the semiconductor memory 219via the control section 220.

[0380] (11) The control section further sends a signal corresponding to“the optimum amount of light in reproducing, to therecord/reproduce/delete control waveform generator circuit 206 and setsagain the amount of light emitted by the semiconductor laser element inreproducing.

[0381] (12) Then, according to “the optimum amount of light inrecording/deleting” recorded on the information storage medium 201, theamount of light emitted by the semiconductor laser element inrecording/deleting is set.

[0382] <Access control>

[0383] Information as to at what location the information recorded onthe information storage medium to be accessed has been recorded on theinformation storage medium and as to what contents the information hasdiffers, depending on the type of the information storage medium 201.For example, on a DVD disk, such information is recorded in thedirectory management area or in a navigation pack on the informationstorage medium 201.

[0384] The directory management area is generally recorded in a lump inthe inner edge area or outer edge area of the information storage medium201. A navigation pack is included in a data unit called VOBU (videoobject unit) in VOBS (video object set) complying with the datastructure of PS (program stream) in MPEG 2. In the navigation pack,information as to where the next picture is recorded is recorded.

[0385] To reproduce or record/delete a specific piece of information,the information in the above area is reproduced and the accessdestination is determined from the obtained information.

[0386] <Rough access control>

[0387] The control section calculates the position of the radium at theaccess destination and determines the distance between the presentposition of the optical head 202 and the calculated position.

[0388] Information about the speed curve by which the optical head 202can arrive at the destination in the shortest time has been recorded inthe semiconductor memory 219 beforehand. The control section 220 readsthe information and controls the movement of the optical head 202 asfollows.

[0389] After the control section 220 has sent a command to the objectiveactuator driving circuit 218 to turn off the track loop, it controls thefeed motor driving circuit 216 to cause the optical head 202 to startmoving.

[0390] When the condensed spot traverses the track on the informationstorage medium 201, the focus/track error sensing circuit 217 generatesa track error sense signal. Using the track error sense signal, therelative speed of the condensed spot to the information storage medium201 can be sensed.

[0391] The feed motor driving circuit 216 calculates the relative speedof the condensed spot from the focus/track error sensing circuit 217 andthe target speed information constantly sent from the control section220 and, on the basis of the result, moves the optical head 202, whileapplying feedback control to the driving current to the optical headdriving mechanism (feed motor) 203.

[0392] As described in item <Optical head moving mechanism>, frictionforce is always acting between the guide shaft and bush or bearings.Although kinetic friction acts when the optical head 202 is moving athigh speed, statical friction acts at the beginning of movement and justbefore it comes to a stop because the optical head 202 moves at lowspeed. When the static friction acts (especially, just before the headstops), the friction force increases relatively. To cope with anincrease in the friction force, the amplification factor (gain) of thecontrol system is increased by a command from the control section 220 toincrease the current supplied to the optical head driving mechanism(feed motor) 203.

[0393] <fine access control>

[0394] After the optical head 202 has reached the target position, thecontrol section 220 sends a command to the objective actuator drivingcircuit 218, thereby turning on the track loop.

[0395] While tracing the track on the information storage medium 201,the condensed spot reproduces the addresses or track numbers at thatpart.

[0396] From the addresses or track numbers, the position of the presentcondensed spot is determined. The number of erroneous tracks from thetarget position to be reached is calculated at the control section 220,which informs the objective actuator driving circuit 218 of the numberof tracks across which the condensed spot has to move.

[0397] When the objective actuator driving circuit 218 generates a setof kick pulses, the objective moves slightly along the radius of theinformation storage medium 201 and the condensed spot moves to theadjacent track.

[0398] The objective actuator driving circuit 218 turns off the trackloop temporarily and generates as many kick pulses as meet theinformation from the control circuit 220 and thereafter turns on thetrack loop again.

[0399] After the fine access has been completed, the control section 220reproduces the information (address or track number) at the positionwhere the condensed spot is tracing and makes sure that the target trackis being accessed.

[0400] <Continuous recording/reproducing/deleting control>

[0401] The track error sense signal outputted from the focus/track errorsensing circuit 217 is inputted to the feed motor driving circuit 216.At the time of “start-up control” or “access control,” the controlsection 220 prevents the feed driving circuit 216 from using the trackerror sense signal.

[0402] After having confirmed that the condensed spot has reached thetarget track as a result of the access, the control section 220 sends acommand to supply part of the track error sense signal as a drivingcurrent via the motor driving circuit 216 to the optical head drivingmechanism (feed motor) 203. This control is continued during the timewhen reproducing or recording/deleting is being done continuously.

[0403] The information storage medium 201 is put in such a manner thatits center position is off-centered slightly from the center position ofthe turntable 221. When part of the track error sense signal is suppliedas a driving current, the whole optical head 202 moves slightlyaccording to the eccentricity.

[0404] When reproducing or recording/deleting is done continuously for along time, the position of the condensed spot moves gradually toward theouter edge or inner edge. When part of the track error sense signal issupplied as a driving current to the optical head moving mechanism (feedmotor) 203, the optical head 202 moves gradually toward the outer edgeor inner edge accordingly.

[0405] By easing the objective actuator of the burden of correcting ashift in the track, the track loop can be stabilized.

[0406] <End control>

[0407] To end the operation after a series of processes has beencompleted, processing is done through the following procedure:

[0408] (1) The control section 220 sends a command to turn off the trackloop to the objective actuator driving circuit 218.

[0409] (2) The control section 220 sends a command to turn off the focusloop to the objective actuator driving circuit 218.

[0410] (3) The control section 220 sends a command to stop thesemiconductor laser element from emitting light to therecord/reproduce/delete control waveform generator circuit 206.

[0411] (4) The spindle motor driving circuit 215 is informed that thereference number of revolutions is 0.

[0412] <Flow of recording signal/playback signal to the informationstorage medium>

[0413] <Flow of signal in reproducing>

[0414] <Binarization/PLL circuit>

[0415] As described in item <Signal sensing by optical head 202>, achange in the amount of reflected light from the reflecting film orreflective recording film of the information storage medium (opticaldisk) 201 is sensed, thereby reproducing the signal on the informationstorage medium 201. The signal obtained b the amplifier 213 has ananalog waveform. The binarization circuit 212 uses a comparator toconvert the analog signal into a binary digital signal composed of “1”and “0.”

[0416] From the playback signal obtained at the binarization circuit212, the PLL 211 extract a reference signal for playback of information.Specifically, the PLL circuit 211 includes an oscillator capable ofvarying frequency and compares the frequency and phase of the pulsesignal (reference clock) outputted from the oscillator with those of theoutput signal of the binarization circuit 212. The result of thecomparison is fed back to the output of the oscillator, therebyproducing the reference signal for reproducing information.

[0417] <Demodulation of signal>

[0418] A demodulation circuit 210 includes a conversion table showingthe relationship between the modulated signals and the demodulatedsignals. Referring to the conversion table in synchronization with thereference clock obtained at the PLL circuit 211, the demodulationcircuit 210 returns the input signal (modulated signal) to the originalsignal (demodulated signal). The demodulated signal is stored in thesemiconductor memory 219.

[0419] <Error correcting process>

[0420] An error correction circuit 209 senses errors in the signalstored in the semiconductor memory 219 using internal code PI andexternal code PO and sets the pointer flags for the error positions.Thereafter, while reading out the signals from the semiconductor memory219, the error correction circuit corrects the signals at the errorpositions one after another according to the error pointer flags, andthen records post-error-correction information in the semiconductormemory 219 again.

[0421] When the information reproduced from the information storagemedium 201 is outputted as playback signal c to the outside world, theinternal code PI and external code PO are removed from thepost-error-correction information recorded in the semiconductor memory.The resulting information is transferred via a bus line 224 to a dataI/O interface 222. The data I/O interface 222 outputs the signal sentfrom the error correction circuit 209 as playback signal c.

[0422] <Signal form recorded on the information storage medium 201>

[0423] The signals recorded on the information storage medium arerequired to fulfill the following:

[0424] (a) They must be capable of correcting errors in the recordedinformation due to defects in the information storage medium.

[0425] (b) The direct-current components of their playback signals mustbe made “0” to simplify the reproducing circuit.

[0426] (c) They must be recorded in such a manner that the informationis recorded as densely on the information storage medium 201 aspossible.

[0427] To meet the requirements, the information recording andreproducing section (physical system block) achieves “addition of anerror correction function” and “signal conversion of recordedinformation (modulation/demodulation of signal).”

[0428] <Flow of signal in recording>

[0429] <error correction code ECC adding process>

[0430] An error correction code ECC adding process will be explained.Information d to be recorded on the information storage medium 201 isinputted in the form of a row signal to the data I/O interface 222. Therecording signal d is recorded as it is in the semiconductor memory 219.Thereafter, an ECC encoder 208 executes the following ECC additionalprocess.

[0431] Hereinafter, a concrete example of an ECC adding method using aproduct code will be explained.

[0432] In the semiconductor memory 219, recording signal d is arrangedrow by row at intervals of 172 bytes and 192 rows forms one ECC block(172-byte row×192-byte column gives 32 kilobytes of information). Forthe raw signal (recording signal d) in one ECC block composed of“172-byte row×192-byte column,” 10-byte internal code PI is calculatedat intervals of a 172-byte row and the result is recorded in thesemiconductor memory additionally 219. In addition, 16-byte externalcode PO is calculated at intervals of one column in bytes and the resultis recorded in the semiconductor memory 219 additionally.

[0433] Then, using a total of 23366 bytes (=(12+1)×(172+10)) consistingof 12 rows including a 10-byte internal code PI (12×(172+10) bytes) andone row of external code PO (1×(172+10) bytes) as a unit, theinformation subjected to the error correction code ECC adding process isrecorded in a sector on the information storage medium 10.

[0434] After internal code PI and external code PO have been added, theECC encoder 208 transfers the information to the semiconductor memorytemporarily. When information is recorded on the information storagemedium 201, the signal is transferred in units of a sector of 2336 bytesto the semiconductor memory 219.

[0435] <Signal modulation>

[0436] Signal conversion, or conversion of signal form, is caused in amodulation circuit 207 to bring the direct-current component (SDV:Digital Sum Value or Digital Sum Variation) of the playback signalcloser to “0” and record information on the information storage medium211 at high density. Each of the modulation circuit 207 and demodulationcircuit 210 includes a conversion table showing the relationship betweenthe original signal and the modulated signal.

[0437] The modulation circuit 207 segments the signal transferred fromthe ECC encoder 208 in units of bits according to a specific modulationmethod and converts them into another signal (code) referring to theconversion table. For example, when 8/16 modulation (RLL (2, 10) code)is used as a modulation method, two types of conversion table exist.Reference is made switching between the two conversion tables in such amanner that the direct-current component (DSV) after the modulation getscloser to “0.”

[0438] <Recording waveform generation>

[0439] When a recording mark is recorded on the information storagemedium (optical disk) 201, the following are generally used as arecording method:

[0440] (Mark length recording method) “1” is placed at the beginning andend of the recording mark.

[0441] (Mark-to-mark recording method) The center position of therecording mark coincides with the position of “1.”

[0442] To use mark length recording, it is necessary to form a relativelong recording mark. In this case, when a large amount of light forrecording continues to be projected on the information storage medium 10for longer than a specific period of time, the heat-accumulating effectof the reflective recording film of the information storage medium 201causes only the rear of the mark to get wider, forming a raindrop-likerecording mark. To avoid this drawback, when a long recording mark isformed, the recording laser driving signal is divided into recordingpulses or the recording waveform of the recording laser is changed to astep-like waveform.

[0443] According to the recording signal sent from the modulationcircuit 207, the record/reproduce/delete control waveform generatorcircuit 206 creates the aforementioned waveform and sends a drivingsignal with the recording waveform to the semiconductor laser drivingcircuit 205.

[0444] Here, the flow of signals between blocks in the recording andreproducing device will be summarized as follows:

[0445] (1) Input of a Raw Signal to Be Recorded to the InformationRecording and Reproducing Device

[0446] The configuration of the information recording and reproducingsection (physical system block) is exemplified. In the informationrecording and reproducing section, the sections related to the processesof recording and reproducing information onto and from the informationstorage medium (optical disk) 201 in the information recording andreproducing device are put together. The recording signal d sent from ahost computer, such as PC (personal computer) or EWS (engineeringworkstation) is inputted to an information recording and reproducingsection (physical system block) 101 by way of the data I/O interface222.

[0447] (2) Process of Dividing Recording Signal d at Intervals of 2048bytes

[0448] The data I/O interface 222 divides the recording signal dtime-sequentially at intervals of 2048 bytes and adds data ID 510 andthereafter carries out a scrambling process. The resulting signal issent to the ECC encoder 208.

[0449] (3) Creating an ECC Block

[0450] The ECC encoder 208 forms a block of “172 bytes×192 columns” byputting together 16 groups of the signals obtained by scrambling therecording signals and then adds internal code PI (internal parity code)and external code PO (external parity code).

[0451] (4) Interleaving Process

[0452] Thereafter, the ECC encoder 208 carries out the interleavingprocess of external code PO.

[0453] (5) Signal Modulation Process

[0454] The modulation circuit 207 modulates the signal obtained byinterleaving external code PO and then adds a synchronizing code.

[0455] (6) Recording Waveform Creating Process

[0456] According to the resulting signal, the record/reproduce/deletecontrol waveform generator circuit 206 creates a recording waveform andsends the waveform to the laser driving circuit 205.

[0457] Because the information storage medium (DVD-RAM disk) 201 hasemployed the “mark length recording” method, the rising timing andfalling timing of the recording pulse coincide with the timing of “1” ofthe modulated signal.

[0458] (7) The Process of Recording Information on the InformationStorage Medium (Optical Disk) 10

[0459] The amount of light of the laser light projected from the opticalhead 202 and condensed on the recording film of the information storagemedium (optical disk) 201 is varied intermittently, thereby forming arecording mark at the recording film of the information storage medium(optical disk) 201.

[0460]FIG. 12 is a flowchart to help explain an example of the operationof setting logical block numbers for a DVD-RAM disk or the like.Explanation will be given by reference to FIG. 11, too.

[0461] When the information storage medium (optical disk) 201 is put onthe turntable 221 (step ST131), the control section starts to rotate thespindle motor 204 (step ST132).

[0462] After the information storage medium (optical disk) 201 hasstarted rotating, the optical head 202 starts to emit laser light (stepST133) and the objective focus servo loop in the optical head 202 isturned on (step ST134).

[0463] After laser light has been emitted, the control section 220causes the feed motor 203 to operate, thereby moving the optical head202 to the lead-in area 607 of the information storage medium (opticaldisk) 201 now rotating (step ST135). Then, the objective track servoloop in the optical head 202 is turned on (step ST136).

[0464] After the track servo has become active, the optical head 202reproduces the information in the control data zone 655 (see FIG. 3) inthe lead-in area 607 on the information storage medium (optical disk)201 (step ST137); Reproducing the book type and part version 671 in thecontrol zone 655, the optical head has confirmed that the informationstorage medium (optical disk) 201 now being rotated is a recordablemedium (DVD-RAM disk or DVD-R disk) (step ST138). Here, the medium 10 isassumed to be a DVD-RAM disk.

[0465] After it is confirmed that the information storage medium(optical disk) 201 is a DVD-RAM disk, information about the optimumamount of light for reproducing, recording, or deleting (such as thelight-emitting power and light-emitting period or duty ratio or the likeof the semiconductor laser) is reproduced from the control zone 655 tobe reproduced (step ST139).

[0466] Thereafter, the control section 220 creates a conversion table(see FIG. 5) for physical sector numbers and logical sector numbers,provided that there is no defect in the DVD-RAM now being rotated (stepST140).

[0467] After the conversion table has been created, the control section220 reproduces the defect management area DMA1/DMA2 663 in the lead-inarea 607 and the defect management area DMA3/DMA4 691 in the lead-outarea 609 on the information storage medium (optical disk) 201 and checksthe distribution of defects in the information storage medium (opticaldisk) 201 at that point of time (step ST141).

[0468] Once having known the distribution of defects in the informationstorage medium (optical disk) 201 from the defect distribution check,the control section 220 corrects the conversion table created on theassumption that there is no defect at step ST140, according to theactual distribution of defects (step ST142). Specifically, in each ofthe parts where it has become clear that there is a defect, the logicalsector number LSN corresponding to the physical sector number PSN isshifted.

[0469]FIG. 13 is a flowchart to help explain an example of the operationof processing defects in a DVD-RAM disk or the like (the process on thedrive side). The flowchart of FIG. 13 will be explained by reference toFIG. 11, too. First, for example, the begin logical block number LBN ofthe information to be recorded on the medium (for example, DVD-RAM disk)now installed in the drive and the file size of the information to berecorded are specified to the MPU in the control section 220 (stepST151).

[0470] Then, the MPU of the control section 220 calculates the beginlogical sector number LSN for the information to be recorded from thespecified begin logical block number LBN (step ST152). From thecalculated begin logical sector number LSN and specified file size, thewrite logical sector number to the information storage medium (opticaldisk) 201 is determined.

[0471] Next, the MPU of the control section 220 not only writes arecording information file in the specified address on the DVD-RAM disk201 but also checks for a defect in the disk 201 (step ST153).

[0472] When no defect has been found in the course of writing the file,this means that the recording information file has been recorded in aspecific logical sector number with no abnormality (that is, without theoccurrence of errors) and the recording process is completed properly(step ST155).

[0473] On the other hand, if a defect has been found in the course ofwriting the file, a specific replacement process, for example, a linearreplacement algorithm, will be executed (step ST156).

[0474] After the replacement process, the newly sensed defect isregistered additionally in DMA1/DMA2 663 of the lead-in area 607 andDMA3/DMA4 691 of the lead-in area 607 on the disk (see FIGS. 3 and 4)(step ST157). After the defect has been registered additionally inDMA1/DMA2 663 and DMA3/DMA4 691 on the information storage medium(optical disk) 201, the contents of the conversion table created at stepST140 of FIG. 12 are corrected on the basis of what has been registeredin DMA1/DMA2 663 and DMA3/DMA4 691 (step ST158).

[0475] Next, UDF, a type of file system, will be explained by referenceto FIGS. 14 and 15.

[0476] (A-1)

[0477] UDF is the abbreviation for universal disk format and shows “therule for file management method” mainly in disk information storagemediums. CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-Video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, and DVD-RAMhave employed the UDF format standardized in ISO 9660.

[0478] The file management method is based on a hierarchical file systemwhere a root directory is provided as a parent and files are managed intree form. Although the UDF format complying with the DVD-RAM standard(file system specifications) will be chiefly explained, most part of theexplanation also coincides with the contents of the DVD-ROM standard.

[0479] (A-2) . . . Summary of UDF

[0480] (A-2-1) . . . Contents of File Information Recorded onInformation Storage Medium

[0481] When information is recorded on an information storage medium, ablock of information is called “file data.” Recording is done in unitsof file data. To distinguish between one file data item from another,each file data item is assigned a unique file name. Grouping file dataitems that have the common contents of information facilitates filemanagement and file retrieval. Such a group of file data items is called“directory” or “folder.” Each directory is assigned a unique directoryname (folder name). The directories may be collected into a high-orderdirectory (high-order folder) as a group at a higher level of hierarchy.Here, the filed data and directory are generically called a file.

[0482] To record information, all the information about the following isrecorded on an information storage medium:

[0483] Contents of file data items themselves

[0484] File name corresponding to the file data

[0485] Storage location of the file data (under which directoryrecording is done)

[0486] In addition, all the following information about each directory(folder) is also recorded on the information storage medium:

[0487] Directory name (folder name)

[0488] Location (location of a higher-order directory (higher-orderfolder) acting as its parent) to which each directory (folder) belongs

[0489] (A-2-2) . . . Information Recording Form on Information StorageMedium

[0490] All the recording area on an information storage medium isdivided into logical sectors using the smallest unit of 2048 bytes. Allthe logical sectors are assigned logical sector numbers in sequence.When information is recorded on the information storage medium,information is recorded in logical sectors. The recording locations onthe information storage medium are managed by the logical sector numbersof the logical sectors in which the information has been recorded.

[0491] As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, logical sectors in which informationabout a file structure 486 and file data 487 have been recorded areparticularly called “logical blocks” and assigned logical block numbers(LBN) interlocking with logical sector numbers (LSN). (A logical blockhas 2048 bytes long as a logical sector does.)

[0492] (A-2-3) Simplified Example of Hierarchical File System

[0493] In FIG. 16, the letter a indicates a simplified example of ahierarchical file system.

[0494] The file management system of almost every OS, including UNIX,MacOS, MS-DOS, and Windows, has a tree-like hierarchical structure asshown by a in FIG. 16.

[0495] For each disk drive (or each partition unit when a single HDD isdivided into partitions), one root directly 401 acting as a parent forthe whole drive exists. A subdirectory 401 belongs to the rootdirectory. In the subdirectory 401, file data 403 exists.

[0496] There may be a case where file data 403 exists directly under theroot directory 402 or where subdirectories 402 are connected in seriesto form a complex hierarchical structure.

[0497] (A-2-4) Contents of File Management Information Recorded on theInformation Storage Medium

[0498] The file management information is recorded in logical blocks.The contents recorded in each logical block include mainly the followingitems marked with *:

[0499] * Statement indicating information on files (FID as a fileidentification descriptor: file identification descriptor) . . . Thetypes of files and file names (including root directory name,subdirectory name, and file data name) are written in the statement. Inthe FID, the contents of the data in the file following it and thestatement indicating the location where the contents of the directory(that is, the location where the FE (file entry) explained belowcorresponding to the corresponding file) are written.

[0500] * Description of the location where the contents of a file arerecorded (FE as file entry) The contents of the file data and thelocation (logical block number) on an information storage medium onwhich information about the contents of directories (such assubdirectories) have been recorded are written.

[0501]FIG. 21 shows an extract from the contents of the description of afile identification descriptor (explained later). Its detailedexplanation will be given in “(B-4) Description of file identifier”.

[0502] In a DVD-RAM, a logical block (sector size) contains 2048 bytes.A collection of logical blocks is called an extent. An extent is eitherone logical block or logical blocks assigned consecutive logical addressnumbers (LBN). To access the file data recorded on an informationstorage medium, pieces of information are read one by one according tothe access route of FIG. 16 and access to the addresses (AD (*), LAD(*)) shown in the pieces of information is repeated, thereby accessingthe desired file data.

[0503] Next, the statement indicating a recording location on theinformation storage medium uses a long allocation descriptor of FIG. 17and a short allocation descriptor of FIG. 18A. FIG. 17 gives a generalidea showing the basis relationship between a hierarchical file systemstructure and the contents of the information recorded on theinformation storage medium.

[0504] Their detailed explanation will be given in “(B-1-2) Longallocation descriptor” and “(B-1-3) Short allocation descriptor.”

[0505] The contents of the information with the file system structureindicated by a of FIG. 16 recorded on the information storage medium areas shown by b of FIG. 16. The contents of the record indicated by a ofFIG. 16 are as follows.

[0506] * The contents of the root directory 401 are written in thelogical block with logical block number “1.”

[0507] . . . Since in the example of a of FIG. 16, the root directory401 includes only the subdirectory 402, information about thesubdirectory 402 is written as the contents of the root directory 401 inthe file identification descriptor statement 404.

[0508] Although not shown, information on the root directory 401 itselfis also written in the file identification descriptor statement in thesame logical block.

[0509] . . . The location (the second logical block in the example of bof FIG. 16) where a file entry statement 405 showing where the contentsof the subdirectory 402 have been recorded has been recorded is written(LAD (2)) in a long allocation descriptor statement in the fileidentification descriptor statement 404 in the subdirectory.

[0510] * A file entry statement 405 showing the location where thecontents of the subdirectory 402 have been recorded is recorded in thelogical block with logical block number “2.”

[0511] . . . Since in the example of a of FIG. 16, the subdirectory 402includes only the file data 403, the contents of the subdirectory 402virtually indicate the location where a file identification descriptorstatement 406 in which information about the file data 403 has beenwritten.

[0512] . . . In the short allocation (short allocation) descriptorstatement in the file entry statement, the fact (AD (3)) that thecontents of the subdirectory 402 have been recorded in the third logicalblock is written.

[0513] * The contents of the subdirectory 402 are recorded in thelogical block with logical block number “3.”

[0514] . . . Since in the example of a of FIG. 16, the subdirectory 402includes only the file data 403, information about the file data 403 iswritten as the contents of the subdirectory 402 in the fileidentification descriptor statement 406. Although not shown, informationon the subdirectory 402 itself is also written in the fileidentification descriptor statement in the same logical block.

[0515] . . . The location (the fourth logical block in the example of bof FIG. 16) where a file entry statement 407 showing where the contentsof the file data 403 have been recorded has been recorded is written(LAD (4)) in a long allocation descriptor statement in the fileidentification descriptor statement 404 related to the file data 403.

[0516] * A file entry statement 407 showing the location where thecontents 408, 409 of the file data 403 have been recorded is recorded inthe logical block with logical block number “4.”

[0517] . . . In the short allocation descriptor statement in the fileentry statement 407, the fact that the contents 408, 409 of the filedata 403 have been recorded in the fifth and sixth logical blocks iswritten ((AD (5), AD (6)).

[0518] * The contents (a) 408 of the file data 403 are recorded in thelogical block with logical block number “5.”

[0519] * The contents (b) 409 of the file data 403 are recorded in thelogical block with logical block number “6.”

[0520] (A-2-5)

[0521] A method of accessing the file data according to the informationindicated by b of FIG. 16

[0522] As briefly explained in “(A-2-4) Contents of file systeminformation recorded on the information storage medium,” the logicalblock numbers in which the subsequent information has been written arewritten in the file identification descriptors 404, 406 and file entries405, 407. As the file data is reached by way of subdirectories, goingdown the hierarchy from the root directory, the contents of the filedata are accessed by reproducing the pieces of information in thelogical blocks on the information storage medium one by one according tothe logical block numbers written in the file identification descriptorand file entry.

[0523] Specifically, To access file data item 403 for the informationindicated by b of FIG. 16, the information in the first logical block isread for the first time.

[0524] Since the file data 403 exists in the subdirectory 402, after theinformation in the first logical block is searched for the fileidentification descriptor 404 in the subdirectory 402 and LAD (2) isread, the information in the second logical block is read according toLAD (2). Since only one file entry statement has been written in thesecond logical block, AD (3) in the second logical block is read andcontrol proceeds to the third logical block. In the third logical block,the file identification descriptor 406 in which information about thefile data 403 has been written is searched for and LAD (4) is read.According to LAD (4), control moves to the fourth logical block. Sinceonly one file entry statement 407 has been written in the fourth logicalblock, AD (5) and AD (6) are read and the logical block numbers (thefifth and sixth ones) where the contents of the file data 403 have beenrecorded are found.

[0525] The contents of AD (*) and LAD (*) will be explained in detail in“(B) Concrete explanation of the contents of each statement (descriptor)in UDF.”

[0526] (A-3) Characteristics of UDF

[0527] (A-3-1) Explanation of the Characteristic of UDF

[0528] Hereinafter, the characteristics of UDF will be explained incomparison with FAT used in HDD, FDD, or MO.

[0529] (1) UDF uses larger minimum units (including the smallest logicalblock size and smallest logical sector size) and is suitable forrecording video information or music information that is large in theamount of information to be recorded.

[0530] . . . The size of a UDF logical sector (block) is as large as2048 bytes, whereas the size of a FAT logical sector is 512 bytes.

[0531] (2) . . . While FAT causes a table for managing the allocation offiles to an information storage medium (file allocation table) to berecorded collectively in a local part of the information storage medium,UDF allows the file management information to be recorded in adistributed manner in any location on the disk.

[0532] . . . In UDF, the locations where the file management informationand file data are recorded on the disk are written in logical sector(block) numbers in an allocation descriptor.

[0533] * Since FAT provides centralized management in the filemanagement area (file allocation table), it is suitable for applicationsthat requires the file structure to be changed frequently (mainly usefor frequent rewriting) (because the management information is writtenin the intensive locations, it can be rewritten easily). Since thelocation where the file management information (file allocation table)is recorded has been determined beforehand, it is a precondition thatthe recording medium has a high reliability (or few defective areas).

[0534] * Since in UDF, the file management information is placed in adistributed manner, there are few great changes in the file structure.UDF is suitable for applications that add a new file structure later(mainly additional recording use) in the lower part of the hierarchy(mainly the part below than the root directory) (because in the case ofadditional recording, few changes are made to the original filemanagement information). Moreover, since the locations where thedistributed file management information is recorded can be specifiedarbitrarily, recording can be done, avoiding congenital defective parts.

[0535] Since the file management information can be recorded in anylocation, all the file management information may be gathered andrecorded in one place, producing the effect of FAT. Therefore, UDF canbe considered to be a highly versatile file system.

[0536] (B) Concrete Explanation of Each Statement (Descriptor) in UDF

[0537] (B-1) Statement of Logical Block Number

[0538] (B-1-1) Allocation Descriptor

[0539] As described in “(A-2-4) Contents of file system informationrecorded on the information storage medium,” a statement included inpart of a file identification descriptor or a file entry and indicatingthe location (logical block number) where the subsequent information hasbeen recorded is called an allocation descriptor. Allocation descriptorsinclude long allocation descriptors and short allocation descriptorsexplained below.

[0540] (B-1-2) Long Allocation Descriptors

[0541] As shown in FIG. 17, a long allocation descriptor is composed ofthe following:

[0542] * The length of an extent 410 . . . The number of logical blocksis expressed in four bytes.

[0543] * The location of an extent 411 . . . The corresponding logicalblock number is expressed in four bytes.

[0544] * Implementation use 412 . . . The information used in operationis expressed in eight bytes.

[0545] In the explanation, a long allocation descriptor is abbreviatedas “LAD (logical block number).”

[0546] (B-1-3) Short Allocation Descriptors

[0547] As shown in FIG. 18A, a short allocation descriptor is composedof only the following:

[0548] * The length of an extent 410 . . . The number of logical blocksis expressed in four bytes.

[0549] * The location of an extent 411 . . . The corresponding logicalblock number is expressed in four bytes.

[0550] In the explanation, a short allocation descriptor is abbreviatedas “AD (logical block number).” FIG. 18B shows an example of descriptionin the extent length 410. For example, the first two bits may indicatethe attribute of the extent.

[0551] When the first two bits is “0,” this means an extent created byactually recording AV file data in the data area. When the first twobits is “1,” this means an unused extent secured in the data area inwhich AV file data is to be recorded. When the first two bits is “2,”this means that any extent has been neither recorded nor secured. Whenthe first two bits is “3,” this means that the extent is an extentfollowing the allocation descriptor. These pieces of information may beused in the long allocation descriptor of FIG. 17.

[0552] (B-2) Unlocated Space Entry

[0553] Unlocated space entry is used in a space table (see FIGS. 14 and15), a statement that writes, for example, “the extent distribution ofunrecorded state” on the information storage medium for each extent inshort allocation descriptors as shown in FIG. 19 and arranges them. Theconcrete contents written in an unlocated space entry are as follows:

[0554] * Descriptor tag 413 . . . Represents the descriptor for thedescription, particularly “1263” in this case.

[0555] * ICB tag 414 . . . Represents the file type.

[0556] When the file type=1 in the ICB tag, this means an unlocatedspace entry. when the file type=4, this means that the file is adirectory. When the file type=5, this means that it is explained thatthe file is a sequence of bytes that may be accessed at random.

[0557] * The total length of a string of allocation descriptors 415 . .. The total number of bytes is expressed in four bytes.

[0558] (B-3) File Entry

[0559] This is almost the same as the statement explained in “(A-2-4)Contents of file system information recorded on the information storagemedium.

[0560] As shown in FIG. 20A, the following are written in the fileentry:

[0561] * Descriptor tag 417 . . . Represents the descriptor for thedescription, particularly “261” in this case.

[0562] * ICB tag 418 . . . Represents the file type the contents are thesame as in (B-2).

[0563] * Permissions 419 . . . Represents record/reproduce/deletepermission information by user. Used mainly to maintain the security ofthe file. When the user is allowed to access the information, he or shecan access it.

[0564] * Allocation descriptor 420 Writes the locations where thecontents of the relevant file have been recorded by arranging shortallocation descriptors for each extent.

[0565]FIG. 20B shows the file entry information in a hierarchical mannerto summarize the above explanation. In the file entry (FE), at least theICB tag and allocation descriptor are written. moreover, the permissioninformation and further information on the information length may bewritten. (See c in FIG. 44 explained later.)

[0566] In the field of the ICB tag, a field in which file types are tobe written is further provided. In the file type field, a field in whichidentification of a real-time file, or an AV file, is to be written issecured. In the case of an AV file, file type =249 is written in thisfield.

[0567] When a volume set is composed of a single volume, a shortallocation statement (see FIG. 18) is used in the allocation descriptor.

[0568] (B-4) File Identification Descriptor

[0569] This is almost the same as the statement explained in “(A-2-4)Contents of file system information recorded on the information storagemedium. As shown in FIG. 21, the following are written in the fileidentification descriptor:

[0570] * Descriptor tag 411 . . . Represents the descriptor for thedescription, particularly “257” in this case.

[0571] * File characteristic 422 . . . Represents the type of file andmeans any one of parent directory, directory, file data, and file deleteflag.

[0572] * Information control block 423 . . . The FE locationcorresponding to the file is written in long allocation descriptors.

[0573] * File identifier 424 . . . Directory name or file name.

[0574] * Padding . . . Dummy area added to adjust the total length ofthe file identification descriptor and usually filled with “0.”

[0575] (C) Example of Description of a File Structure Recorded on theInformation Storage Medium according to UDF

[0576] The contents of “(A-2) Summary of UDF” will be described indetail using a concrete example.

[0577]FIG. 22 shows a more common file system structure for a of FIG.16. The numerals in the parentheses represent the logical block numberson the information storage medium on which information about thecontents of the directories or the contents of the file data have beenrecorded.

[0578] An example of recording information about the file systemstructure of FIG. 22 according to the UDF format is shown in the filestructure 486 of FIGS. 14 and 15.

[0579] Methods of managing unrecorded locations on the informationstorage medium includes the following two methods:

[0580] * Space bit map (space bit map) method

[0581] . . . Either a “recorded” flag or an “unrecorded” flag is set ina bit map manner for all the logical blocks in the recording area on theinformation storage medium using space bit map descriptors 470.

[0582] * Space table (space table) method

[0583] . . . All the unrecorded logical block numbers are written in theform of a list of short allocation descriptors using a method of writingan unlocated space entry 471.

[0584] In the explanation of the present embodiment, although the twomethods have been shown intentionally in FIGS. 14 and 15, actuallyhowever, the two methods are hardly used (recorded on the informationstorage medium) at the same time and only one of them is used.

[0585] An outline of the contents of the chief descriptors written inFIGS. 14 and 15 is as follows.

[0586] Beginning Extended area descriptor 445 . . . Represents the startposition of a volume recognition sequence.

[0587] Boot descriptor 447 . . . Writes the contents of the process inbooting.

[0588] Terminating Extended area descriptor 448 . . . Represents the endposition of the volume recognition sequence.

[0589] Partition (division) descriptor 450 . . . Represents partitioninformation (such as size). As a general rule, a DVD-RAM has a partition(part (division)) per volume.

[0590] Logical volume descriptor 454 . . . Writes the contents of alogical volume.

[0591] Anchor volume descriptor 458 . . . Indicates the locations wherethe main volume descriptor sequences 449 and 467 are recorded in therecording area of the information storage medium.

[0592] Reserved (a1100h bytes) 459 to 465 Provides an adjusting areawhich is filled with “0” to secure logical sector numbers to recordspecific descriptors.

[0593] Reserved volume descriptor sequence 467 . . . Backup area for theinformation recorded in the main volume descriptor sequence 449.

[0594] (D) A method of Accessing the File Data in Reproduction

[0595] Explanation will be given about a method of accessing theinformation storage medium to reproduce the contents of, for example,file data H432 (see FIG. 22) using the file system information shown inFIGS. 14 and 15.

[0596] (1) The information in the boot descriptor 447 in the volumerecognition sequence 444 area serving as the boot area at the time ofstarting the information recording and reproducing device or installingthe information storage medium is reproduced.

[0597] (2) The process in booting is started according to the contentsof the boot descriptor 447. When no process in booting is specified, theinformation in the logical volume descriptor (logical volume descriptor)454 in the main volume description sequence (main volume descriptorsequence) 449 area is first reproduced.

[0598] (3) Logical volume contents use 455 has been written in thelogical volume descriptor 454. In the logical volume contents use, thelogical block number indicating the location where a file set descriptor472 has been recorded has been written in the form of a long allocationdescriptor (see FIG. 17). (In the example of FIGS. 14 and 15, it hasbeen written in the 100^(th) logical block counting from LAD (100).)

[0599] (4) The 100^(th) logical block (or logical sector number 372) isaccessed and the file set descriptor 472 is reproduced. In the rootdirectory ICB 473 in the file set descriptor, the location (logicalblock number) where the file entry for the root directory A425 has beenrecorded has been written in the form of a long allocation descriptor(see FIG. 17). (In the example of FIGS. 14 and 15, it has been writtenin the 102^(nd) logical block counting from LAD (102).) According to LAD(102) in the root directory ICB473,

[0600] (5) According to LAD (102) in the root directory ICB 473, the102^(nd) logical block is accessed. Then, the file entry 475 for theroot directory A425 is reproduced and the location (logical blocknumber) where information about the contents of the root directory A425has been recorded is read (AD(103)).

[0601] (6) The 103^(rd) logical block is accessed and information aboutthe contents of the root directory A425 is reproduced.

[0602] Because the file data H432 exists under the directory D428system, the file identification descriptor for the directory D428 issearched for and the logical block number (LAD (110) although not shownin FIGS. 14 and 15) where the file entry for the directory D428 has beenrecorded is read.

[0603] (7) The 110^(th) logical block is accessed and the file entry 480for the directory D428 is reproduced. Then, the location (logical blocknumber) where information about the contents of the directory D428 hasbeen recorded is read (AD(111)).

[0604] (8) The 111^(th) logical block is accessed and information aboutthe contents of the directory D428 is reproduced.

[0605] Because the file data H432 exists directly under the directoryF430, the file identification descriptor for the subdirectory F430 issearched for and the logical block number (LAD (112) although not shownin FIGS. 14 and 15) where the file entry for the subdirectory F430 hasbeen recorded is read.

[0606] (9) The 112^(th) logical block is accessed and the file entry 482for the subdirectory F430 is reproduced. Then, the location (logicalblock number) where information about the contents of the subdirectoryF430 has been recorded is read (AD(113)).

[0607] (10) The 113^(th) logical block is accessed and information aboutthe contents of the subdirectory F430 is reproduced. Then, the fileidentification descriptor for the file data H432 is searched for. Fromthe descriptor, the logical block number (LAD (114) although not shownin FIGS. 14 and 15) where the file entry for the subdirectory H432 hasbeen recorded is read.

[0608] (11) The 114^(th) logical block is accessed and the file entry484 for the file data H432 is reproduced. Then, the location where thecontents of the file data H432 has been recorded is read.

[0609] (12) The information is read from the information storage mediumin the order in which the logical block numbers have been written in thefile entry 484 for the file data H432, thereby reading the contents ofthe file data H432.

[0610] (E) Method of Changing the Contents of Specific File Data

[0611] A processing method including a case where the contents of, forexample, file data H432 are changed will be explained using the filesystem information shown in FIGS. 14 and 15.

[0612] (1) The difference between the volume of the contents of databefore and after the file data H432 is changed is calculated. Theresulting value is divided by 2048 bytes, thereby calculating beforehandhow many additional logical blocks are needed or how many logical blocksare unnecessary.

[0613] (2) The information in the boot descriptor 447 in the volumerecognition sequence 444 area serving as the boot area at the time ofstarting the information recording and reproducing device or installingthe information storage medium is reproduced. The process in booting isstarted according to the contents of the boot descriptor 447.

[0614] When no process in booting is specified, control proceeds asfollows.

[0615] (3) The partition (part (division)) descriptor 450 in the mainvolume descriptor sequence 449 area is reproduced and the information inthe partition (division) contents use 451 written in the descriptor isread. The location where the space table or space bit map has beenrecorded is shown in the partition (division) contents use 451 (alsoreferred to as partition (division) header descriptor).

[0616] The location of the space table is written in the column of theunallocated space table 452 in the form of a short allocation descriptor(AD(50) in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15).

[0617] The location of the space bit map table is written in the columnof the unallocated space bit map 453 in the form of a short allocationdescriptor (AD(0) in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15).

[0618] (4) The logical block number (0) where the space bit map read in(3) has been written is accessed. The space bit map information is readfrom the space bit map descriptor 470. Then, unregistered logical blocksare searched for and use of as many logical blocks as equal the resultof calculation in item (1) is registered (the process of rewriting thespace bit map descriptor 460 information). Alternatively,

[0619] (4′) The logical block number (50) where the space table read in(3) has been written is accessed. Then, USE(AD(*), AD(*), . . . , AD(*))471 in the space table is searched for unregistered logical blocks anduse of as many logical blocks as equal the result of calculation in item(1) is registered (the process of rewriting the space tableinformation).

[0620] Actually, either process (4) or process (4′) is carried out.

[0621] (5) Next, the information in the logical volume descriptor 454 inthe main volume descriptor sequence 449 area is reproduced.

[0622] (6) The logical volume content use 455 has been written in thelogical volume descriptor 454. In the descriptor, the logical blocknumber indicating the location where the file set descriptor 472 hasbeen recorded has been written in the form of a long allocationdescriptor (FIG. 17). (In the example of FIGS. 14 and 15, the descriptorhas been recorded in the 100^(th) logical block counting from LAD(100).)

[0623] (7) The 100^(th) logical block (or logical sector number 400) isaccessed and the file set descriptor 472 is reproduced. In the rootdirectory ICB473 in the descriptor, the location (logical block number)where the file entry for the root directory A425 has been recorded hasbeen written in the form of a long allocation descriptor (see FIG. 16)(in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15, the file entry has been recorded inthe 102^(nd) logical block counting from LAD(102)).

[0624] (8) According to LAD(102) in the root directory ICB473, the102^(nd) logical block is accessed. Then, the file entry 475 for theroot directory A425 is reproduced and the location (logical blocknumber) where information about the contents of the root directory A425has been recorded is read (AD(103)).

[0625] (9) The 103^(rd) logical block is accessed and information aboutthe contents of the root directory A425 is reproduced.

[0626] Because the file data A432 exists under the directory D428system, the file identification descriptor for the directory D428 issearched for and the logical block number (LAD(110) although not shownin FIGS. 14 and 15) where the file entry for the directory D428 has beenrecorded is read.

[0627] (10) The 110^(th) logical block is accessed. Then, the file entry480 for the directory D428 is reproduced and the location (logical blocknumber) where information about the contents of the directory D428 hasbeen recorded is read (AD(111)).

[0628] (11) The 111^(th) logical block is accessed and information aboutthe contents of the directory D428 is reproduced.

[0629] Because the file data H432 exists directly under the directoryF430, the file identification descriptor for the subdirectory F430 issearched for and the logical block number (LAD (112) although not shownin FIGS. 14 and 15) where the file entry for the subdirectory F430 hasbeen recorded is read.

[0630] (12) The 112^(th) logical block is accessed and the file entry482 for the subdirectory F430 is reproduced. Then, the location (logicalblock number) where information about the contents of the subdirectoryF430 has been recorded is read (AD(113)).

[0631] (13) The 113^(th) logical block is accessed and information aboutthe contents of the subdirectory F430 is reproduced. Then, the fileidentification descriptor for the file data H432 is searched for. Fromthe descriptor, the logical block number (LAD(114) although not shown inFIGS. 14 and 15) where the file entry for the subdirectory H432 has beenrecorded is read.

[0632] (14) The 114^(th) logical block is accessed and the file entry484 for the file data H432 is reproduced. Then, the location where thecontents of the file data H432 has been recorded is read.

[0633] (15) The contents 489 of the modified file data H432 arerecorded, taking into account the logical block numbers registeredadditionally in either (4) or (4′).

[0634] (F) A method of Deleting Specific File Data/Directory

[0635] As an example, a method of deleting file data H432 orsubdirectory F430 will be explained.

[0636] (1) The information in the boot descriptor 447 in the volumerecognition sequence 444 area serving as the boot area at the time ofstarting the information recording and reproducing device or installingthe information storage medium is reproduced.

[0637] (2) The process in booting is started according to the contentsof the boot descriptor 447. When no process in booting is specified, theinformation in the logical volume descriptor 454 in the main volumedescription sequence 449 area is first reproduced.

[0638] (3) Logical volume contents use 455 has been written in thelogical volume descriptor 454. In the logical volume contents use, thelogical block number indicating the location where the file setdescriptor 472 has been recorded has been written in the form of a longallocation descriptor (see FIG. 17) (in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15,it has been written in the 100^(th) logical block counting from LAD(100)).

[0639] (4) The 100^(th) logical block (or logical sector number 400) isaccessed and the file set descriptor 472 is reproduced. In the rootdirectory ICB 473 in the file set descriptor, the location (logicalblock number) where the file entry for the root directory A425 has beenrecorded has been written in the form of a long allocation descriptor(see FIG. 17) (in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15, it has been written inthe 102^(nd) logical block counting from LAD (102)).

[0640] (5) According to LAD (102) in the root directory ICB 473, the102^(nd) logical block is accessed. Then, the file entry 475 for theroot directory A425 is reproduced and the location (logical blocknumber) where information about the contents of the root directory A425has been recorded is read (AD(103)).

[0641] (6) The 103^(rd) logical block is accessed and information aboutthe contents of the root directory A425 is reproduced.

[0642] Because the file data H432 exists under the directory D428system, the file identification descriptor for the directory D428 issearched for and the logical block number (LAD (110) although not shownin FIGS. 14 and 15) where the file entry for the directory D428 has beenrecorded is read.

[0643] (7) The 110^(th) logical block is accessed and the file entry 480for the directory D428 is reproduced. Then, the location (logical blocknumber) where information about the contents of the directory D428 hasbeen recorded is read (AD(111)).

[0644] (8) The 111^(th) logical block is accessed and information aboutthe contents of the directory D428 is reproduced.

[0645] Because the file data H432 exists directly under the directoryF430, the file identification descriptor for the subdirectory F430 issearched for.

[0646] <To delete subdirectory F430, the process as described below iscarried out>

[0647] “File delete flag” is set in the file characteristic 422 (seeFIG. 21) in the file identification descriptor for the subdirectoryF430.

[0648] The logical block number (LAD(112) although not shown in FIGS. 14and 15) where the file entry for the subdirectory F430 has been recordedis read.

[0649] (9) The 112^(th) logical block is accessed and the file entry 482for the subdirectory F430 is reproduced. Then, the location (logicalblock number) where information about the contents of the subdirectoryF430 has been recorded is read (AD(113)).

[0650] (10) The 113^(th) logical block is accessed and information aboutthe contents of the subdirectory F430 is reproduced. Then, the fileidentification descriptor for the file data H432 is searched for.

[0651] <To Delete Subdirectory H432, the Process As Described below isCarried Out>

[0652] “File delete flag” is set in the file characteristic 422 (seeFIG. 21) in the file identification descriptor for the subdirectoryF432. From the descriptor, the logical block number (LAD (114) althoughnot shown in FIGS. 14 and 15) where the file entry for the subdirectoryH432 has been recorded is read.

[0653] (11) The 114^(th) logical block is accessed and the file entry484 for the file data H432 is reproduced. Then, the location where thecontents of the file data H432 has been recorded is read.

[0654] <To delete subdirectory H432, the process as described below iscarried out>

[0655] The logical blocks in which the contents of data 489 of the filedata H432 have been recorded are released (or the logical blocks areregistered in the unrecorded state).

[0656] (12) The partition (division) descriptor 450 in the main volumedescriptor sequence 449 area is reproduced and the information in thepartition (division) contents use 451 written in the descriptor is read.The location where the space table or space bit map has been recorded isshown in the partition (division) contents use 451 (also referred to aspartition (division) header descriptor).

[0657] The location of the space table is written in the column of theunallocated space table 452 in the form of a short allocation descriptor(AD(50) in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15).

[0658] The location of the space bit map table is written in the columnof the unallocated space bit map 453 in the form of a short allocationdescriptor (AD(0) in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15).

[0659] (13) The logical block number (0) where the space bit map read initem (12) has been written is accessed. The “logical block numbers to bereleased” obtained as the result of item (11) are rewritten into a spacebit map descriptor 470. Alternatively,

[0660] (13′) The logical block number (50) where the space table read initem (12) has been written is accessed. Then, the “logical block numbersto be released” obtained as the result of item (11) are rewritten into aspace table.

[0661] * Actually, either item (13) or process (13′) is carried out.

[0662] <To delete subdirectory H432, the process as described below iscarried out>

[0663] (12) The location where the contents of the file data I433 havebeen recorded is read following the same procedures in item (10) anditem (11).

[0664] (13) Next, the partition (division) descriptor 450 in the mainvolume descriptor sequence 449 area is reproduced and the information inthe partition (division) contents use 451 written in the descriptor isread. The location where the space table or space bit map has beenrecorded is shown in the partition (division) contents use 451.

[0665] The location of the space table is written in the column of theunallocated space table 452 in the form of a short allocation descriptor(AD(50) in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15).

[0666] The location of the space bit map table is written in the columnof the unallocated space bit map 453 in the form of a short allocationdescriptor (AD(0) in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15).

[0667] (14) The logical block number (0) where the space bit map read initem (13) has been written is accessed. The “logical block numbers to bereleased” obtained as the results of item (11) and item (12) arerewritten into a space bit map descriptor 470. Alternatively,

[0668] (14′) The logical block number (50) where the space table read initem (13) has been written is accessed. Then, the “logical block numbersto be released” obtained as the results of item (11) and item (12) arerewritten into a space table.

[0669] * Actually, either item (14) or process (14′) is carried out.

[0670] (G) The Process of Adding File Data/Directory

[0671] As a example, explanation will be given about an accessing andadding method in adding new file data or directories under thesubdirectory F430.

[0672] (1) To add file data, the volume of the contents of the file datato be added is checked. The resulting. value is divided by 2048 bytes,thereby calculating beforehand the number of logical blocks needed toadd file data.

[0673] (2) The information in the boot descriptor 447 in the volumerecognition sequence 444 area serving as the boot area at the time ofstarting the information recording and reproducing device or installingthe information storage medium is reproduced. The process in booting isstarted according to the contents of the boot descriptor 447. When noprocess in booting is specified, control proceeds as follows.

[0674] (3) The partition (division) descriptor 450 in the main volumedescriptor sequence 449 area is reproduced and then the information inthe partition (division) contents use 451 written in the descriptor isread. The location where the space table or space bit map has beenrecorded is shown in the partition (division) contents use 451 (alsoreferred to as partition (division) header descriptor).

[0675] The location of the space table is written in the column of theunallocated space table 452 in the form of a short allocation descriptor(AD(50) in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15).

[0676] The location of the space bit map table is written in the columnof the unallocated space bit map 453 in the form of a short allocationdescriptor (AD(0) in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15).

[0677] (4) The logical block number (0) where the space bit map read initem (3) has been written is accessed. The space bit map information isread from the space bit map descriptor 470. Then, unregistered logicalblocks are searched for and use of as many logical blocks as equal theresult of calculation in item (1) is registered (the process ofrewriting the space bit map descriptor 460 information). Alternatively,

[0678] (4′) The logical block number (50) where the space table read initem (3) has been written is accessed. Then, USE(AD(*), AD(*), . . . ,AD(*)) 471 in the space table is searched for unregistered logicalblocks and use of as many logical blocks as equal the result ofcalculation in item (1) is registered.

[0679] * Actually, either process (4) or process (4′) is carried out.

[0680] (The Process of Rewriting the Space Table Information)

[0681] (5) Next, the information in the logical volume descriptor 454 inthe main volume descriptor sequence 449 area is reproduced.

[0682] (6) The logical volume content use 455 has been written in thelogical volume descriptor 454. In the descriptor, the logical blocknumber indicating the location where the file set descriptor 472 hasbeen recorded has been written in the form of a long allocationdescriptor (see FIG. 17). (In the example of FIGS. 14 and 15, thedescriptor has been recorded in the 100^(th) logical block counting fromLAD(100).)

[0683] (7) The 100^(th) logical block (or logical sector number 400) isaccessed and the file set descriptor 472 is reproduced. In the rootdirectory ICB473 in the descriptor, the location (logical block number)where the file entry for the root directory A425 has been recorded hasbeen written in the form of a long allocation descriptor (see FIG. 17)(in the example of FIGS. 14 and 15, the file entry has been recorded inthe 102^(nd) logical block counting from LAD(102)).

[0684] (8) According to LAD(102) in the root directory ICB473, the102^(nd) logical block is accessed. Then, the file entry 475 for theroot directory A425 is reproduced and the location (logical blocknumber) where information about the contents of the root directory A425has been recorded is read (AD(103)).

[0685] (9) The 103^(rd) logical block is accessed and information aboutthe contents of the root directory A425 is reproduced.

[0686] The file identification descriptor for the directory D428 issearched for and the logical block number (LAD(110) although not shownin FIGS. 14 and 15) where the file entry for the directory D428 has beenrecorded is read.

[0687] (10) The 110^(th) logical block is accessed. Then, the file entry480 for the directory D428 is reproduced and the location (logical blocknumber) where information about the contents of the directory D428 hasbeen recorded is read (AD(111)).

[0688] (11) The 111^(th) logical block is accessed and information aboutthe contents of the directory D428 is reproduced.

[0689] The file identification descriptor for the subdirectory F430 issearched for and the logical block number (LAD (112) although not shownin FIGS. 14 and 15) where the file entry for the subdirectory F430 hasbeen recorded is read.

[0690] (12) The 112^(th) logical block is accessed and the file entry482 for the subdirectory F430 is reproduced. Then, the location (logicalblock number) where information about the contents of the subdirectoryF430 has been recorded is read (AD(113)).

[0691] (13) The 113^(th) logical block is accessed and the fileidentification descriptor for the file data or directory to be addednewly to information about the contents of the subdirectory F430 isregistered.

[0692] (14) The location where the logic block number has beenregistered in item (4) or (4′) is accessed and the file data ordirectory to be newly added is recorded.

[0693] (15) The location for the logical block number shown in the shortallocation descriptor in the file entry in (14) is accessed. Then, thefile identification descriptor for the parent directory related to thedirectory to be added or the contents of the file data to be added isrecorded.

[0694] The contents (data structure) of the information recorded on aninformation storage medium (optical disk 1001) on and from which videoinformation and audio information of FIG. 23(a) can be recorded orreproduced will be explained below by reference to FIGS. 24 and 25.

[0695] A schematic data structure of the information recorded on theinformation storage medium 1001 is such that, as indicated by b in FIG.23, the information is divided as follows starting from the inner edgeside 1006:

[0696] A lead-in area 1002 having an embossed data zone whose reflectingsurface is uneven, a mirror zone whose surface is flat (mirror-like),and a rewritable data zone where information is rewritable, volume andfile management information 1003 in which information about files of orthe entire amount of audio and video data recorded in a rewritable tabledata zone that allows the user to record or rewrite data is to berecorded, a data area 1004 composed of a rewritable table data zone thatenables the user to record or rewrite data, and a lead-out area 1005composed of a rewritable table data zone where information isrewritable.

[0697] In the embossed data zone of the lead-in area 1002, the followinghave been recorded beforehand:

[0698] Information about an entire information storage medium, includingdisk type, such as DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, or DVD-R, disk size, recordingdensity, and physical sector numbers indicating the recordingstart/recording end locations.

[0699] Information about recording, reproducing, and deletingcharacteristics, including recording power, recording pulse width,deleting power, reproducing power, and linear velocity in recording anddeleting.

[0700] Information about the manufacture of each information storagemedium, such as serial number.

[0701] Each of the rewritable table data zone of the lead-in area 1002and the rewritable table data zone of the lead-out area 1005 has thefollowing:

[0702] Disk name recording zone unique to each information storagemedium.

[0703] Trial recording zone (for checking recording and deletingconditions).

[0704] Management information recording zone for defective areas in thedata area 1004.

[0705] An information recording and reproducing device can record datain the above zones.

[0706] In the data area 1004 sandwiched between the lead-in area 1002and lead-out area 1005, computer data and audio & video data can berecorded in a mixed manner as indicated by c in FIG. 23. The order inwhich the computer data and audio & video data are recorded and therecording information size of each of them are arbitrary. Areas in whichthe computer data is recorded are called computer data areas 1008, 1010and an area in which the audio & video data is recorded is called audio& video data area 1009.

[0707] The data structure of the information recorded in the audio &video data area 1009 is composed of the following as shown by d in FIG.23:

[0708] Anchor pointer information 1015 for controlinformation→Information indicating the begin position (begin address)where control information 1011 has been recorded in the audio & videodata area 1009.

[0709] Control information 1011→Control information necessary to carryout each of video recording (audio recording), reproducing, editing, andretrieving.

[0710] Video objects 1012→Video recording information about the contentsof video data.

[0711] Picture objects 1013→Still picture information about stillpictures or slide pictures.

[0712] Audio objects 1014→Audio recording information about the contentsof audio data.

[0713] Thumbnail objects 1016→Information including thumbnails used insearching for the desired place in the video data or in editing.

[0714] The video objects 1012, picture objects 1013, audio objects 1014,and thumbnail objects 1016 in FIG. 23, d mean groups of informationclassified by contents (the contents of data). Therefore, All the videoinformation recorded in the audio & video data area 1009 is included inthe video objects 1012; all the still picture information is included inthe picture objects 1013; all the audio and audio information isincluded in the audio objects 1014; and all the thumbnail informationused in managing and retrieving video information is included in thethumbnail objects 1016.

[0715] VOB1403 of FIG. 24 shows a block of information recorded in theAV file 1401, which is defined differently from the video objects 1012indicated by d in FIG. 23. Because similar terms are used to meantotally different things, care should be taken.

[0716] The contents of control information 1011 include the following:

[0717] AV data control information 1101: Management information aboutthe management of the data structure in video objects 1012 or recordinglocations on the optical disk 1001, an information storage medium.

[0718] Playback control information 1021: Control information necessaryfor playback.

[0719] Recording control information (recording (video recording)control information) 1022: Control information necessary for recording(video recording and audio recording).

[0720] Edit control information 1023: Control information necessary forediting.

[0721] Thumbnail control information 1024: Management information aboutthumbnails (thumbnail objects) for searching for or editing the desiredplace in the video data.

[0722] The data structure in AV data control information 1101 indicatedby e in FIG. 23 is composed of the following:

[0723] Allocation map table (allocation map table) 1105: Informationabout address setting and identification of recorded and unrecordedareas according to the actual layout on an information storage medium(optical disk 1001).

[0724] Video title set information 1106: Indicates the contents of theentire information in AV file 1401 as shown in FIG. 24 and includesinformation about a relation between the individual video objects (VOB),grouping information about a plurality of VOBs for management andretrieval, and a time map table.

[0725] Video object control information 1107: Indicates informationabout each of the VOBS in AV file 1401 as shown by c in FIG. 24 andincludes attribute (characteristic) information about each VOB andinformation about each VOBU in VOB.

[0726] Program chain control information (PGC control information) 1103:Information about video information playback program (sequence).

[0727] Self-playback information (cell playback information) 1108:Information about the data structure In video information basic units atthe time of playback.

[0728] The above is a general view of FIG. 23 up to f and somesupplementary explanation of each piece of information will be givenbelow.

[0729] In the volume and file manager information 1003, the followingare recorded:

[0730] Information about the whole volume.

[0731] The number of files of PC data included and the number of filesrelated to AV data.

[0732] Recording layer information.

[0733] As the recording layer information, the following areparticularly recorded:

[0734] The number of component layers (examples: a RAM/ROM two-layerdisk is counted as two layers, a ROM two-layer disk is counted as twolayers, an n number of single-sided disks are counted as n layers).

[0735] A logical sector number range table allocated to each layer (thecapacity for each layer).

[0736] Characteristic of each layer (examples: DVD-RAM disk, the RAMsection of RAM/ROM two-layer disk, CD-ROM, and CD-R).

[0737] Logical sector number range table allocated to each zone in theRAM area for each layer (including information about the capacity of anarea where rewriting is possible layer by layer).

[0738] ID information unique to each layer (to find disk replacement ina multiple disk pack).

[0739] Consecutive logical sector numbers are set even in a multipledisk pack or RAM/ROM two-layer disk, thereby enabling the pack or diskto be used as a large volume space.

[0740] In the playback control information 1021, the following arerecorded:

[0741] Information about a playback sequence to combining PGCs into one.

[0742] Information indicating spurious recording positions regarding aninformation storage medium as VTR or DVC in connection with the above(the sequence in which all the recorded cells are reproducedconsecutively).

[0743] Information about simultaneous playback of screens with differentpieces of video information.

[0744] Retrieval information ( . . . information in which a tablelisting the corresponding cell ID and the start time in the cell isrecorded for each retrieval category and which enables the user toselect a category and access the video information directly).

[0745] In the record control information 1022, program reservation videorecording information and others are recorded.

[0746] In the edit control information 1023, the following are recorded:

[0747] * Special editing information about each PGC ( . . . thecorresponding time setting information and special editing contents arewritten as EDL information).

[0748] * File conversion information ( . . . converts a specific part ofthe AV file into a file that enables special editing on the PC, such asan AVI file, and specifies the place in which the converted file isstored).

[0749] In the thumbnail control information 1024, the following isrecorded:

[0750] Management information about thumbnail objects 1016 (the placewhere each thumbnail picture is recorded in the audio and video dataarea 1009, specifying information about the VOB or cell related to eachthumbnail image, and information about places in the VOB or cell relatedto each thumbnail picture). (The VOB and cell will be explained indetail in an explanation of FIG. 24.)

[0751] All the information recorded in the data area 1004 indicated by bin FIG. 23 is recorded in files. The relationship between the individualdata files is managed by a directory structure as shown in FIG. 25.

[0752] Under a root directory 1450, subdirectories 1451 are provided tofacilitate classification according to the contents of a file. In theembodiment of FIG. 25, each data file related to the computer datarecorded in the computer data areas 1008, 1010 indicated by c in FIG. 23is recorded under a computer data storage subdirectory 1457 and theaudio and video data recorded in the audio and video data area 1009 isrecorded under a rewritable video title set (RWV_TS) 1452. When thevideo information recorded in a DVD video disk is copied as shown by ain FIG. 23, it is copied under a video title set (VIDEO_TS) 1455 and anaudio title set (AUDIO_TS) 1456.

[0753] The control information 1011 indicated by d in FIG. 23 isrecorded as recording/reproducing video management data in the form of asingle file. In the embodiment of FIG. 25, the name of the file isRWVIDEO_CONTROL.IFO. The same information is recorded under the filename RWVIDEO_CONTROL.BUP as a backup copy. The RWVIDEO_CONTROL.IFO andRWVIDEO_CONTROL.BUP2 files are treated as conventional computer files.

[0754] In the embodiment of FIG. 25, all the video information databelonging to the video objects 1012 indicated by d in FIG. 23 isrecorded collectively in the video object file 1447 whose file name isRWVIDEO.VOB. Specifically, all the video information data belonging tothe video objects 1012 indicated by d in FIG. 23 is concatenatedcontinuously in a single VTS (video title set 1402) and recordedcontinuously in a single file, the single video object file 1447 (thatis, all the video information data is recorded collectively in a singlefile without dividing a file into PTT (Part_of_Title) 1407, 1408.

[0755] Furthermore, All the still picture information data belonging tothe picture objects 1013 is recorded collectively in a picture objectfile 1448 whose file name is RWPICTURE.POB. The picture objects 1013include pieces of still picture information. A digital camera hasemployed a method of recording a single still picture in the form of adifferent file. Differently from the recording method of the digitalcamera, the embodiment of the present invention is characterized in thatall the still pictures included in the picture objects 1013 areconcatenated continuously in the same manner as in FIG. 24 and recordedcollectively in a single picture object file 1448 whose file name isRWPICTURE.POB.

[0756] Similarly, all the audio information belonging to the audioobjects 1014 is recorded collectively in a single audio object file 1449whose name is RWAUDIO.AOB and all the thumbnail information belonging tothe thumbnail objects 1016 is recorded collectively in a thumbnailobject file 1458 whose name is RWTHUMBNIL.TOB.

[0757] The video object file 1447, picture object file 1448, audioobject file 1449, and thumbnail object file 1458 are all treated as AVfiles 1401.

[0758] Although not shown in FIG. 23, recording/reproducing additionalinformation 1454 usable in video-recording or reproducing pictures canbe recorded simultaneously. The information is recorded collectively ina single file, which is given the file name RWADD.DAT.

[0759] The data structure of an AV file is shown in FIG. 24. Asindicated by b in FIG. 24, the whole AV file 1401 constitutes a singlePGS (program set) 1402. The PGS (program set) 1402 is composed of acollection of VOB (video objects) 1403, 1404, 1405 separated in theorder in which the pieces of information have been recorded in thecontents of the audio and video data or the AV file 1401.

[0760] VOB (video objects) 1403, 1404, 1405 indicated by d in FIG. 24are defined as a collection of audio and video data recorded in the AVfile 1401 and differ in definition from the video objects 1012 indicatedby d in FIG. 23 where classification items, including still pictureinformation/audio information/thumbnail information, are given priority.Therefore, in the VOB (video objects) 1403, 1404, 1405 indicated by d inFIG. 24, not only the information classified as the video objects 1012has been recorded, but also the information classified as the pictureobjects 1013, audio objects 1014, or thumbnail objects 16 as shown inFIG. 23 has been recorded. on the basis of the contents of theinformation recorded in each of the VOBs 1403, 1404, 1405, related VOBsare put together into a group and the individual groups constitute PGs(programs) 1407, 1408. Namely, PGs 1407, 1408 are composed of sets ofone or more VOBS. In the embodiment indicated by c in FIG. 24, VOB 1408and VOB 1405 constitute PG (program) 1408. PG 1407 is composed of onlyone VOB.

[0761] The smallest basic units of video information are called VOBUS(video object units) 1411 to 1414. The data in the VOBs 1403 to 1405 arecomposed of collections of the VOBUs 1411 to 1414. MPEG 1 or MPEG 2 areoften used as video information compression techniques in the videoobjects 1012. In MPEG, video information is divided into groups calledGOPs at intervals of 0.5 second, thereby compressing the videoinformation in GOPS. The video object units 1411 to 1414, videoinformation compression units, are formed so as to have almost the samesize as that of the GOPs in synchronization with the GOPs.

[0762] Furthermore, each of the video object units 1411 to 1414 isrecorded in such a manner that it is divided into sectors 1431 to 1437,each sector containing 2048 bytes. In each of the sectors 1431 to 1437,recording is done in the form of a pack structure. In the respectivesectors, the raw video information, sub-picture information, audioinformation, and dummy information are recorded in the form of packs,including V_PCK (video packs) 1421, 1425, 1426, 1426, SP_PCK(sub-picture pack) 1422, A_PCK (audio pack) 1423, and DM_PCK (dummypack) 1424. Since each pack has a 14-byte pack header at its head, theamount of information recorded in each pack is 2034 bytes.

[0763] DM_PCK 1424 has been inserted beforehand for the purpose of, forexample, adding additional recording information after video recording (. . . for example, additional recording is put in an audio pack and theresulting pack is replaced with a dummy pack, or memo information isinserted in sub-picture information (a sub-picture pack) and theresulting pack is replaced with a dummy pack).

[0764] The recording area of a DVD-RAM, an example of the informationstorage medium 1001 indicated by a in FIG. 23 is divided into sectors.In each sector, 2048 bytes of data can be recorded. In the DVD-RAM disk,recording or reproducing is done in sectors (or in units of 2048 bytes).Therefore, when a DVD-RAM disk is used as an information storage medium(optical disk 1001), each pack is recorded in sectors 1431 to 1437 asindicated by f in FIG. 24.

[0765] As indicated by b and d in FIG. 24, a consecutive connection ofall the VOBs 1403 to 1405 in the AV file 1401 constitutes a VTS (videotitle set) 1402. In the playback sequence written in the playbackcontrol information 1021, an arbitrary range in an arbitrary VOB can bespecified and further playback can be performed in an arbitrary playbacksequence. Video information basic units in playback are called cells1441, 1442. 1443. The cells 1441, 1442. 1443 can specify an arbitraryrange in an arbitrary VOB but cannot specify an arbitrary rangeextending over VOBs (that is, cannot set a range by connecting VOBs in asingle cell).

[0766] In the embodiment indicated by g in FIG. 24, cell 1441 specifiesa single VOBU 1412 in the VOB 1403, cell 1442 specified an entire VOB1404, and cell 1443 specifies a range only in a specific pack (V_PCK1427) in the VOB 1414.

[0767] Information representing a video information playback sequence isset by PGC (program chain) 1446. The playback sequence is written by asingle cell specification or information about a connection of cells.For example, in the embodiment indicated by h in FIG. 24, PGC 1446constitutes a playback program in the form of a connection of cell 1441,cell 1442, and cell 1443 (the relationship between cells and PGC will beexplained in detail later).

[0768] Using FIGS. 26 and 27, the contents of playback controlinformation 1021 will be explained.

[0769] PGC (program chain) control information 1103 in the playbackcontrol information 1021 has a data structure shown in FIG. 26 and theplayback sequence is determined by PGC and cell. PGC shows a unit inexecuting a series of playback in the specified playback sequence ofcells. A cell represents a playback section where playback data in eachVOB is specified by a start address and an end address as shown by f inFIG. 24.

[0770] The PGC control information 1103 is composed of PGC informationmanagement information 105, one or more PGC information search pointer(search pointer of PGC information) 1053, 1054, and pieces of PGCinformation 1055, 1056, 1057.

[0771] The PGC information management information 1052 includesinformation indicating the number of PGCs (the number of pieces of PGCinformation). The PGC search pointers point at the head of each piecesof PGC information, facilitating search. Each of the pieces of PCGinformation 1055, 1056, 1057 is composed of PGC general information 1061and one or more pieces of cell playback information 1062, 1063. The PGCgeneral information 1061 includes information indicating the playbacktime of PGC and the number of cells (the number of pieces of cellplayback information).

[0772] As shown in FIG. 27, a playback section from Cell-A to Cell-F isspecified in cells of playback data. In each PGC, PGC information hasbeen defined.

[0773] (1) PGC #1 shows an example of being composed of cells specifyinga continuous playback section. Its playback sequence is as follows:

[0774] Cell-A→Cell-B→Cell-C.

[0775] (2) PGC #2 shows an example of being composed of cells specifyingan intermittent playback section. Its playback sequence is as follows:

[0776] Cell-D→Cell-E→Cell-F.

[0777] (3) PGC #3 shows an example of being capable of skipped playback,regardless of the direction of playback or repetitive playback. Itsplayback sequence is as follows:

[0778] Cell-A→Cell-D→Cell-B→Cell-E.

[0779] Explanation will be given about a method of setting videoinformation recording locations in a case where unused areas are set inan AV file on the video recording/reproducing application software sidein the embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 28. First, the stateis assumed to be as shown by a in FIG. 28. When the data is deletedpartly from D to E in LBN, the file size of the AV file remainsunchanged as shown by b in FIG. 28, because AV file #1 has an unusedarea in the embodiment of the present invention. Consequently, the fileentry to the AV file stays at FE(AD(C)). Therefore, even when a new PCfile is recorded, the PC file never gets into the location of the unusedarea of AV files #1. Next, when video information is recordedadditionally in video recording, the additional recording informationgets into the unused area ranging, from D to E in LBN. The unused areaturns to an additional recording area.

[0780] With the method of setting unused areas in an AV file accordingto the present invention, there is no need to change the file systeminformation about UDF each time a small amount of data is deleted oradditional recording is done in video recording, which facilitates theprocessing on the file system. When the amount of video information tobe recorded increases, the AV file size becomes larger. The unusedrecording area in the range from B to C in LBN shown by c in FIG. 28 areabsorbed by video file #1. While the video file has only one extentAD(C) indicated by c in FIG. 28, it also has another extent AD(A)indicated by d, resulting in file entry FE(AD(C), AD(B)).

[0781]FIG. 29 shows the relationship between LBN and AV addresses in anAV file in the present invention.

[0782] The information in AV file 1401 is recorded on the informationstorage medium in such a manner that it is interspersed physically onthe storage medium. Now, consider a case where AV file 1401 isdistributed and recorded in extent #α 3166, extent #γ 3168, and extent#δ 3169 and the order of entry on the file entry is extent #δ 63169,extent #γ 3168, and extent #α3166 in this order. The AV addresses, therecording/reproducing application 1 manages, are such that they connectconsecutively the extents registered in the file entry, regardless ofthe recording positions on the information storage medium, and thatyounger entries are allocated smaller AV addresses in ascending order.

[0783] The AV addresses are managed using the extents. For example, itis assumed that the value of LBN of the first sector is “c” and thevalue of LBN of the last sector is “d−1 in extent #γ 3168 as indicatedby a in FIG. 29.” In this case, the AV address values of similar sectorsare “f−e” and “(f−e)+(d−c)−1” respectively as shown by b in FIG. 29.

[0784] In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, when part of AV file 1401 isdeleted in XX, XX-PS, LBN/ODD, and LBN/ODD-PS, then that part turns to“unused VOB #A 3173” and is managed on the recording/reproducingapplication as shown in FIGS. 30 and 31 (specifically, no extent isreleased on the file system 2 (or deleting is not done)).

[0785]FIG. 30 shows a case where the central part of VOB #1 is deleted.FIG. 31 shows the management state when VOB has been deleted as shown inFIG. 30. Specifically, an example of the number of pieces of VOBinformation, the number of pieces of unused VOB information, type, datasize, and AV address for the begin position are shown. As shown in thecolumn on the right side, the contents of management are rewritten.Therefore, in the case of playback, deleting, and additional writing,address management is performed by reference to the managementinformation.

[0786] Unlike conventional computer information, it is essential forvideo information to guarantee its continuity in recording as shown inTable 1 and Table 2. Hereinafter, the reason for impeding continuity inrecording and a method of guaranteeing continuity in recording will beexplained.

[0787]FIG. 32 is a conceptual diagram of a recording route system tohelp explain continuity in recording.

[0788] The externally sent video information is stored temporarily in abuffer memory (semiconductor memory) BM219. When the operation of roughaccess 1334 and fine access 1333 causes the optical head 202 to reachthe recording position on the information storage medium 201, the videoinformation stored temporarily in the buffer memory (semiconductormemory) BM219 is recorded on the information storage medium by way ofthe optical head 202. The transfer rate of the video information sentfrom the buffer memory (semiconductor memory) BM219 to the optical head202 is defined as physical transmission rate (PTR). The average value ofthe transfer rate of the video information transferred from the outsideworld to the buffer memory (semiconductor memory) BM219 is defined assystem transmission rate (STR) 1388. Generally, the physicaltransmission rate PTR differs in value from the system transmission rateSTR.

[0789] Recording video information in different places on theinformation storage medium 201 requires an access operation that movesthe position of the condensed spot of the optical head 202. Rough access1334 is performed to move the whole optical head 202 for largemovements, whereas fine access 1333 is performed to move only thelaser-light condensing objective (not shown) for slight movements.

[0790]FIGS. 33 and 34 show changes with time in the amount of videoinformation temporarily stored in the buffer memory (semiconductormemory) BM219 in a case where the optical head 202 is caused to writevideo information on specific positions on the information storagemedium, while accessing the video information transferred from theoutside world. Since the physical transmission rate PTR is faster thanthe system transmission rate STR, the amount of video informationtemporarily stored in the buffer memory 219 continues decreasing in theperiods of the video information recording times 1393, 1397, 1398. Theamount of video information temporarily stored in the buffer memory 219reduces to zero. At that time, the video information continuouslytransferred is recorded as it is on the information storage mediumwithout being stored temporarily in the buffer memory 219. Thus, theamount of video information temporarily stored in the buffer memory 219stays at zero.

[0791] Thereafter, when video information is recorded in a differentposition on the information storage medium, the accessing of the opticalhead 202 is effected before subsequent recording. The access period ofthe optical head requires three types of time: rough access times 1348,1376, fine access times 1342, 2343, and rotation wait time of theinformation storage medium 201 13451346. Because no recording is done onthe information storage medium 201 in that period, the physicaltransmission rate PTR 1387 in that period is substantially “0.” Incontrast, because the average system transmission rate STR 1388 of thevideo information sent from the outside world to the buffer memory(semiconductor memory) BM219 is kept unchanged, the amount of videoinformation temporarily stored in the buffer memory (semiconductormemory) BM219 increases steadily.

[0792] When the accessing of the optical head 202 has been completed andrecording on the information storage medium 201 is started again (in theperiod of the video information recording time 13971398), the amount ofvideo information temporarily stored in the buffer memory (semiconductormemory) BM219 decrease again. The decrease gradient is determined by:

(average system transmission rate STR 1332)−(physical transmission ratePTR 1331).

[0793] Thereafter, when the optical head accesses a position near therecording position on the information storage medium, only the fineaccess times 1363, 1364, 1365, 1366 and rotation wait times 1367, 1368,1369, 1370 are needed, because the optical head can access the positiononly by fine access.

[0794] The condition for enabling such continuous recording can bedetermined by “the upper limit of the number of accesses in a specificperiod.” Although continuous recording has been explained above, thecondition for enabling continuous playback is also determined by “theupper limit of the number of accesses in a specific period,” becausesimilar reasons to what has been described above.

[0795] The condition for the number of accesses that makes continuousrecording completely impossible will be explained by reference to FIG.33. When the frequency of access is the highest, the video informationrecording time 1398 is very short as shown in FIG. 33 and only the fineaccess times 1363, 1364, 1365, 1366 and rotation wait times 1367, 1368,1369, 1370 follow one after another consecutively. In this case, howeverfast the physical transmission rate PTR 1387 may be, the continuity ofrecording cannot be secured. If the capacity of the buffer memory 219 isBM, the buffer memory 219 is filled with temporarily stored videoinformation in the period of BM . STR, which makes it impossible tostore newly transferred video information temporarily in the buffermemory (semiconductor memory) 219. As a result, as much videoinformation as has not been stored temporarily in the buffer memory(semiconductor memory) 219 cannot be recorded continuously.

[0796] As shown in FIG. 34, when the video information recording time isbalanced against the access time and the temporarily stored videoinformation in the buffer memory 219 is, on the whole, kept almostconstant, the continuity of video information recording viewed from anexternal system is secured without any overflow of the temporarilystored video information in the buffer memory 219. Let each rough accesstime be SARi (seek access time of the objective), the average roughaccess time after an n number of accesses be SATa, the video informationrecording time for each access be DWTi (data write time), and theaverage video information recording time required to record videoinformation on the information storage medium after each access obtainedas the average value after an n number of accesses be DWTa. Moreover,let the rotation wait time for each time be MWTi (spindle motor waittime) and the average rotation wait time after an n number of accessesbe MWTa.

[0797] The amount of video information data transferred from the outsideworld to the buffer memory 219 in all the access periods when an nnumber of accesses were performed is expressed as:

STR×(Σ(SATi+JATi+MWTi))≈STR×n×(SATa+JATa+MWTa)  (1)

[0798] When the value and the amount of video information transferredfrom the buffer memory 219 to the information storage medium 201 inrecording video information expressed as

(PTR−STR)×ΣDWT1≈(PTR−STR)×n·DWTa  (2)

[0799] has the following relationship expressed as:

(PTR−STR)×n·DWTa≧STR×n×(SATa+JATa+MWTa)

[0800] that is,

(PTR−STR)×DWTa≧STR×(SATa+JATa+MWTa)  (3)

[0801] the continuity of video information recording is secured viewedfrom the external system side.

[0802] If the average time required for one access is Ta, Ta isexpressed as:

Ta=STATa+JATa+MWTa  (4)

[0803] Thus, expression (3) is rearranged as:

(PTR−STR)×DWTa≧STR×Ta  (5)

[0804] The present invention is characterized in that. restrictions areplaced on the lower limit of the data size of continuous recording afterone access to decrease the average number of accesses. A data area inwhich continous recording is done on the information storage mediumafter one access is defined as “a contiguous data area.”

[0805] Expression (5) is rearranged as:

DWTa≧STR×Ta/(PTR−STR)  (6)

[0806] Since a contiguous data area size CDAS is determined as follows,

CDAS=DWTa×PTR  (7)

[0807] From expression (6) and equation (7), the following expression isobtained:

CDAS≧STR×PTR×Ta/(PTR−STR)  (8)

[0808] From expression (8), the lower limit of the contiguous data areasize that enables continuous recording is determined.

[0809] The time required for rough access or fine access differsgreatly, depending on the performance of the information recording andreproducing device.

Suppose SATa≈200 ms  (9)

[0810] As described above, calculations are done, provided that MWTa≈18ms and JATa≈5 ms.

[0811] In the case of a 2.6-GB DVD-RAM, TR is:

TR=11.08 Mbps  (10)

[0812] When the average transmission rate of MPEG 2 is

STR≈4 Mbps  (11)

[0813] substituting the above value into expression (8) gives:

CADS≧1.4 Mbits  (12)

[0814] By another estimate, suppose

SATa+JATa+MWTa=1.5 seconds  (13)

[0815] Then, from expression (8), the result is:

CADS≧=9.4 Mbits  (14)

[0816] Since in the recording/reproducing DVD standard, the maximumtransmission rate in MPEG 2 is so determined that it is equal or lessthan

STR=8 Mbps (15)

[0817] substituting the value of equation (15) into expression (8)gives:

CADS≧432 Mbits≈5.4 Mbytes  (16)

[0818] In the embodiment of the present invention shown in Table 4, thecontiguous data area boundary position is managed on therecording/reproducing application 1 in LBN/OD, LBN/ODD-PS, XX, andXX-PS. The allocation map table 1105 shown in FIG. 23(f) is caused tohave a data structure as shown in Table 6, thereby managing the boundaryposition information.

[0819] Using FIG. 10, the linear replacement and skipping replacementhave been explained by comparison as a method of replacing a defectivearea occurred on the information storage medium. Here, explanation willfocus on a comparison between methods of setting LBN (logical blocknumbers) in replacing processes.

[0820] As described earlier, all the recording area on the informationstorage medium is divided into sectors in units of 2048 bytes. All thesectors are allocated physical sector number (PSN) in advance. The PSNsare managed by the information recording and reproducing device asexplained in Table 3.

[0821] As indicated by β in FIG. 35, the place where a replacement area3455 is set is limited to the inside of the spare are 724 in the linearreplacement method, and cannon be set in an arbitrary place. When thereis no defective area on the information storage medium, LBNs areallocated to all the sectors within the user area 723 and no LBN isallocated to the sectors in the spare area 724. When a defective area3451 has occurred in ECC blocks, the setting of LBNs in that place (area3461) is prevented, and the values of the LBNs are set in the sectors inthe replacement area 3455. In the example of β in FIG. 35, “b” is set asPSN of the begin sector in an recording area 3441 and “a” is set as LBN.Similarly, “b+32” is set as PSN of the begin sector of a recording area3442 and “a+32” is set as LBN. When recording data #1, recording data#2, and recording data #3 exist as the data to be recorded on theinformation storage medium as indicated by a in FIG. 35, recording data#1 is recorded in a recording area 3441, and recording data #3 isrecorded in a recording area 3442. When the area sandwiched between therecording areas 3442 and 3442 and PSN of whose begin sector starts at“b+16” is a defective area 3451, no data is recorded there and no LBN isset. Instead, not only recording data #2 is recorded in a replacementarea 3455 PSN of whose begin sector in the spare area 724 starts at “d,”but also LBN starting at the begin sector “a+16” is set.

[0822] Since the addresses the file system 2 manages are LBNs as shownin Table 3 and LBNs are set avoiding the defective area 3451 in thelinear replacement method, the linear replacement method ischaracterized in that the file system 2 is allowed to be unaware of thedefective area on the information storage medium. Conversely, thismethod has a disadvantage in that the file system 2 side cannot dealwith the defective area 3441 on the information storage medium at all.

[0823] In contrast, the skipping replacement method according to thepresent invention is characterized in that LBN is set even for adefective area 3452 as indicated by γ in FIG. 35 and therefore the filesystem 2 side can deal with a defective area occurring on theinformation storage medium (put the defective area in the managementrange). In the example indicated by γ in FIG. 35, LBN of the beginsector in the defective area 3452 is set to “a+16.” The presentinvention is further characterized in that a replacement area 3456 forthe defective area 3452 can be set in any position in the user area 723.As a result, the replacement area 3456 is placed immediately behind thedefective area 3452, which enables recording data #2 to have beenrecorded on the defective area 3452 to be recorded in the replacementarea 3456.

[0824] Since in the linear replacement method indicated by β in FIG. 35,the optical head has to be moved to the spare area 724 to recordrecording data #2, the access time of the optical head is inevitable. Incontrast, in the skipping replacement method, the accessing of theoptical head is unnecessary and recording data #2 can be recordedimmediately behind the defective area.

[0825] As indicated by γ in FIG. 35, in the skipping replacement method,the spare 724 is not used and is treated as an unrecorded area 3459.

[0826] When a recording method as indicated by β in FIG. 35 is used, thephysical movement of the optical head is made frequently as shown inFIG. 36.

[0827] Suppose a defective area is encountered when recording is done upto, for example, point A in the figure. In this case, the optical headhas to jump to point B in a spare area for replacement, write the datathere, and then jump to return to point C in the writing area next tothe defective area. In this method, as the number of defective areaincreases, the movement of the optical head becomes more frequent. Whenthe transfer speed of the input data to be written is fast, the opticalhead could not follow the speed.

[0828] In contrast, the points of the embodiment shown in FIG. 35 andcorresponding effects representing the principal characteristics of thepresent invention are described in the following items (A), (B), and(C):

[0829] (A) LBN is set even for the defective area 3452.

[0830] . . . Because LBN is not allocated directly to a defective areain the linear replacement method indicated by β in FIG. 35 and in thedefect processing method shown in FIG. 10, the file system cannotrecognize the exact defective area. When the number of defects occurredon the information storage medium is small, it is possible to leavedefect management to the information recording and reproducing device 3as shown by β in FIG. 35 or in FIG. 10. When a large number of defectsthat exceed the size of the spare area have occurred, the management ofdefects only by the information recording and reproducing device 3 wouldfail.

[0831] In contrast, when LBN is set for the defective area 3452 toenable the file system 2 side to recognize the place of the defectivearea 2452, the information recording and reproducing device 3 cancooperate with file system 2 to process defects, which enables videoinformation to be recorded continuously without failure, even when alarge number of defects have occurred on the information storage medium.

[0832] (B) The defective area occurred in the user area 723 andallocated LBN is allowed to remain on the LBN space.

[0833] . . . When either the linear replacement method indicated by β inFIG. 35 or the skipping replacement method is used as an LBN settingmethod and LBN is set in the spare area 724 (an extended area 743 usedfor information recording), a problem arises when the recordedinformation is deleted and new information is recorded (although noproblem arises in initial recording).

[0834] Specifically, since all the addresses set on the LBN space areconsecutive when viewed from the file system (the file system 2 isunaware that the LBN set in the spare area 746 has been placed in aposition physically apart from the user area 723), the file system 2tries to record information in the continuous range on the LBN space.Once LBN has been set in the spare area 724, the information recordingand reproducing device 3 has to record information on the informationstorage medium under the control of the file system. As a result, theoptical head has to move to the LBN set place on the spare area 724 andrecord information there, resulting in an increase in the accessfrequency of the optical head and therefore permitting the amount ofvideo information temporarily stored in the semiconductor memory in theinformation recording and reproducing device to be saturated as shown inFIG. 33. As a result, continuous recording might be impossible.

[0835] In contrast, when LBN set as indicated by γ in FIG. 35 is alwaysset in the user area, unnecessary access of the optical head can belimited in a case where another piece of information is recorded in theplace where information has been deleted, which enables continuousrecording of video information.

[0836] (C) The replacement area 3456 is set immediately behind thedefective area 3452 occurred in the user area 723.

[0837] As described above, unlike the linear placement method indicatedby β in FIG. 35, the skipping replacement method indicated by γ in FIG.35 enables recording data #2 to be recorded immediately behind adefective area, with the result that unnecessary access of the opticalhead is limited and therefore continuous recording of video informationis possible.

[0838] The data structure of the defect management information in theskipping replacement method will be explained.

[0839] As a method of recording the defect management information inthis case, the embodiment of the present invention has disclosed thefollowing:

[0840] (1) A method of recording and managing the defect managementinformation as PSN information on the information storage medium asshown in FIG. 37, causing the information recording and reproducingdevice 3 to read the PSN information and then convert it into LBNinformation, and thereafter informing the file system 2 side of the LBNinformation.

[0841] (2) A method of recording and managing the defect managementinformation as LBN information on the information storage medium asshown in FIG. 38 and causing the file system side to reproduceinformation without the intervention of the information recording andreproducing device 3 (in this case, the file system side directly dealswith the process of recording the defect management information on theinformation storage medium).

[0842] In the embodiment of the present invention shown in Table 4, XX,XX-PS, LBN/ODD, LBN/ODD-PS, LBN/XXX, and LBN/XXX-PS use the form of FIG.37. LBN/UDF, LBN/UDF-PS, and LBN/UDF-CadFix use the form of FIG. 38.

[0843] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the defect management informationcorresponding to the linear replacement method has been recorded as PSNinformation or secondary defect management information 3413 in the DMAareas 663, 691 in the rewritable data zones 613, 645 in the lead-in area1002 and lead-out area 1005.

[0844] The embodiment of the present invention is characterized in thatthe secondary defect management information (SDL 3413) corresponding toPC data and the defect management information (TDL 3414) correspondingto AV data (video data) are recorded in such a manner that the former isdistinguished from the latter.

[0845] Specifically, in the present invention, the defect managementinformation corresponding to the skipping replacement method is definedas a tertiary defect list 3414. One replacement process (for example,the setting of the replacement area 3456 for the defective area 2452indicated by γ in FIG. 35) is assigned TDL entry 3427 and TDL entry3428.

[0846] A combination of the begin sector 3431 in a defect ECC block,defect area place information, and the begin position sector number 3432in the replacement ECC block in the defect block indicating thereplacement place has been registered in the linear replacement method.

[0847] In the skipping replacement method, since it is decided that theplace of the replacement area 3456 should be immediately behind thedefective area 3452, a combination of the begin sector number (PSN) 3433in a defective ECC block and the location 3443 in which “FFFFFFh” hasbeen recorded as skipping replacement identification information insteadof replacement area location specification is used as the information inthe TDL entries 3427, 3428. With this recording method, the defectmanagement information compatible with the SDL entries 3422, 3423corresponding to the linear replacement can be recorded on theinformation storage medium.

[0848] All the defect management information shown in FIG. 37 is managedon the information recording and reproducing device 3 side. TDL 3414information or SDL 3413 information reproduced on the informationrecording and reproducing device 3 side are all recorded in PSN. Asindicated by β and γ, a one-to-one correspondence between PSN and LBNholds for each of the defect processing methods. Specifically, after“PSN LSN conversion” is caused using the relationship shown in FIG. 11,“LSN LBN conversion” is caused using the relationship shown in FIGS. 14and 15 and thereafter the defect management information is reported asLBN information to the file system 2 side.

[0849] The defect management of FIG. 37 is managed by the informationrecording and reproducing device, whereas the defect managementinformation of FIG. 38 is managed by the file system 2 side and recordedon the information storage medium (optical disk 1001) in LBN informationform.

[0850] The information is recorded in the main volume descriptorsequence 449 managed by UDF in the volume & file manager information1003. The defect information is generically called a sparing table 469.The defect management information corresponding to the linearreplacement is recorded in a secondary defect map 3471 and the defectmanagement information corresponding to the skipping replacement isrecorded in a tertiary defect map 3472. Either has SD map entries 3482,3483 and TD map entries 3487, 3488 for each replacement process. Thecontents of information written in each map entry are the same asindicated by g in FIG. 37.

[0851]FIG. 39 shows comparison between skipping replacement and linearreplacement in the relationship between the defect managementinformation of FIG. 38 and the defect/replacement process recorded onthe information storage medium.

[0852] The begin sector number 3493 in a defective ECC block in TDM 3472specifies the defective area 3452 indicated by γ in FIG. 39 (managed inECC blocks=units of 16 sectors). Because the replacement area 3456 inwhich the video information for that place is to be recorded is alwaysimmediately behind the defective area 3452,° F.FFFh” 3494 has beenwritten as shown by g in FIG. 38.

[0853] As shown in Table 7, other embodiments of the present inventionthat causes the file system 2 side to manage management information areas follows:

[0854] (1) A hidden file is created and defect map information iswritten in the file.

[0855] (2) A long allocation descriptor (explained in FIG. 17) is usedin AV files and a defect flag is set in Implementation Use 412.

[0856] As explained above, although additional setting can be done inthe replacement area 3456 in recording AV information, replacement isimpossible when the spare area 24 has been used up, because thereplacement area for defects in the PC information has been set in thespare area 724 indicated by β in FIG. 35 beforehand. To solve thisproblem, an embodiment of the present invention indicated by β in FIG.39 is provided. The present invention is characterized in that, when thespare area 724 indicated by β in FIG. 35 has become full, areplacement-only file 3501 is set in the user area 723 as indicated by βin FIG. 39 in the embodiment of the present invention to secure anadditional replacement area for a defective area in recording PC files.

[0857]FIG. 40 is a flowchart to help explain the procedure for creatingthe replacement-only file 3501.

[0858] After an information storage medium has been installed on theinformation recording and reproducing device (ST41), the informationrecording and reproducing device checks the DMA areas 663, 691 (d inFIG. 37) on the information storage medium and then checks the sparearea for the empty area size (ST42). If having judged that there is onlya little room left (ST43), the information recording and reproducingdevice issues a GETSPRE file command to the file system 2 and asks it tocreate a replacement-only file 3501 (ST45). In response to this, thefile system side creates a replacement-only file 3501 and add it as ahidden file to the directory of FIG. 25.

[0859] The identification information for the replacement-only file 3501is recorded as a replacement area setting file flag in a fileidentification descriptor 3364 as shown in a replacement-only file inFIG. 21 or indicated by d in FIG. 60 explained layer. In the case of thereplacement-only file 3501, the bit for the replacement-only file flag3371 is made “1.” This method is determined by the UDF.

[0860] As another embodiment of the identification information about thereplacement-only file 3501, a replacement-only file flag 3372 may beprovided in the ICG tag 418 of the file entry 3520 as indicated by f inFIG. 59 explained later. Because the area is managed by the file system2 side, the information recording and reproducing device has to issue aGETSPARE command to the file system 2 and be given setting locationinformation about the replacement-only file 3501 (ST46). In recording PCinformation, the information recording and reproducing device replacesthe defective area using information about the replacement-only file3501 given from the file system 2 and records the result in the SDLindicated by e in FIG. 37 (ST49).

[0861] As for the defect management information recorded in the SDL, thebegin sector number 3491 in a defective ECC block in SDM 3471 indicatedby g in FIG. 38 specifies the defective area 3451 (ECC block=16 sectors)indicated by β in FIG. 39, and the begin position sector number 3492 ina replacement ECC block in the defective block represents thereplacement area 3455 in the replacement-only file 3501. As seen from βin FIG. 39, the LBN area in the replacement-only file 3501 is used inthe same replacement as linear replacement using the spare area 724.

[0862] According to the above embodiment of the present invention,because the replacement area 3455 can be additionally set in any placein the user area 23, replacement areas can be increased as the number ofdefects occurred on the information storage medium increases.

[0863] As explained in FIGS. 32 to 34, to assure continuous recording ofvideo information, recording and partial deleting have to be donein-contiguous data areas. As indicated by a in FIG. 43, when a smallamount of video information 3513 is added to the already recorded videoinformation 3511, contiguous data area #3 3507 is secured as indicatedby b in FIG. 43 and the remaining part is managed as an unused area3515. When a small amount of video information 3514 is further added,the information is recorded, starting at the begin position of theunused area 3515.

[0864] In a method of managing the begin position of the unused area3516, information representing information length 3517 is used in theembodiments of LBN/ODD, LBN/ODD-PS, LBN/UDF, LBN/UDF-PS, LBN/UDF-CADFix,LBN/XXX, and LBN/XXX-PS in Table 4.

[0865] The-information length 3517 has been recorded in the file entry3520 as shown in FIG. 44. The information length 3517 means the size ofinformation actually recorded from the head of the AV file as indicatedby c in FIG. 43.

[0866] In FIG. 43, the letter d indicates a representation of an unused(unrecorded) area. Specifically, an used area is represented by “unusedarea size=the size of extent #1+the size of extent #2+the size ofextent#3−information length size.”

[0867] As seen from this equation, the size of the whole file isexpressed by the information length of a file entry and an extended fileentry (unused area extent). This makes it easier to recognize the unusedarea extent.

[0868] Some embodiments of the present invention require contiguous dataareas to be dealt with when part of an AV file is deleted. Of theembodiments shown in Table 4, in LBN/UDF and LBN/XXX, the position ofthe boundary between contiguous data areas is not secured when part ofan AV file is deleted as shown in FIG. 45, and the part to be deleted isdeleted completely.

[0869] When video object #B 3552, the part to be deleted, extends overpart of extent #2 (CDA: contiguous data area #β) and part of extent #4(CDA #δ) as shown in FIG. 45, the size of extent #6 3546 and that ofextent #7 3547 become smaller than the contiguous data area allowedminimum value after deletion, as indicated by b in FIG. 45.

[0870] In contrast, of the embodiments shown in Table 4, in XX, XX-PS,LBN/ODD, and LBN/ODD-PS, the recording/reproducing application 1 managesthe boundary between contiguous data areas. Specifically, sinceinformation about the position of the boundary between contiguous dataareas has been recorded in the allocation map table as shown in Table 6,when video object #B 3532 is deleted, the part extending over CDA #β3536 and CDA #δ 3538 are newly defined as unused VOBS 3552, 2553 on therecording/reproducing application 1 side. As shown in FIGS. 30 and 31,they are registered additionally in the same form as that of information3196 in unused VOB #A in the video object control information. Thisembodiment is shown in FIG. 46.

[0871] Of the embodiments listed in Table 4, in LBN/UDF-CDAFix,LBN/UDF-PS, and LBN-XXX-PS, the file system 2 side manages the positionof the boundary between contiguous data areas. In LBN/UDF-CDAFix, CDAhas been divided beforehand as shown in FIG. 47 in all the recordingarea on the information storage medium. The contiguous data areaboundary position management information has been recorded in the bootdescriptor 447, the boot area in the volume recognition sequence 444 inUDF as shown in FIG. 48. Each CDA is managed separately using separateCDA entries and its size 3557 and begin LBN 3558 have been recorded.

[0872] The embodiments LBN/UDF-PS and LBN/xxx-PS do not have suchpreliminary information and enable CDA areas to be set arbitrarily.

[0873] After the recording/reproducing application 1 side specifies theAV address for the begin position of video object #B 3532 to be deletedand its data size (see FIG. 47), the file system 2 side makes thepartial delete place extending over CDA #β and CDA #δ unused extents3548, 3549 and registers the unused extents 3548, 3549 in the file entryof an AV file. As for the identification information for the unusedextents 3548, 3549, the allocation descriptor 420 in the file entry 3520for video information (AV file) as shown in FIG. 17 or as indicated by fin FIG. 44 is made a long allocation descriptor and an “unused extentflag” is set as an attribute in Implementation Use 3528, 412.

[0874] When a DVD-RAM disk is used as an information storage medium,recording and partial deleting have to be done in units of EEC block 502as shown in FIG. 7. Thus, the position of the boundary between ECCblocks has to be managed. In this case, when there is a gap between theposition of the boundary between delete specified areas and the positionof the boundary between EEC blocks, unused extents 3548, 3549 are set infractional places as indicated by b in FIG. 47 and an attributedescription place is provided as indicated by f in FIG. 44 and an“unused extent flag” is set there.

[0875] Therefore, although explained again, the real-time file (AV file)is composed of a real-time extent (recorded section) and an unusedextent (empty extent). Information (management information) about theposition of the recorded section and that of the unused extent arewritten in an allocation descriptor. The allocation descriptor managesAV files and unused area extents (extents set as unrecorded, althoughnothing has actually been recorded therein). As shown in FIG. 44 or by fin FIG. 83, this level of hierarchy includes information about the sizeof extents and the type of extents (recorded or unrecorded). This makesit easier to cope with various types of files, search for recorded areaand unrecorded area, and calculate the capacity. The extent managementinformation is written in the form explained in, for example, FIGS. 18Aand 18B.

[0876] Whether recorded files are AV files can be determined by theidentification information about file type written in the ICB(information control block) tag as described earlier.

[0877] As for the recorded area extent and the unused area extent in theAV file, the length of the allocation space is an integral multiple ofan ECC block and the first logical sector number in the allocation spacecorresponds to an integral multiple of an ECC block.

[0878] To secure the CDA boundary position and the ECC block boundaryposition, the method of setting unused areas in additionalrecording/partial deleting has been explained by reference to FIGS. 43,44, 45, 46, and 47.

[0879] Table 8 lists embodiments other than those described above. Anembodiment indicated by circled 6 in Table 8 records unused area startLBN in Implementation Use, which differs a little from the embodiment ofFIG. 44 which sets the “unused extent flag” in the same place.

[0880] Of the embodiments in Table 4, the difference between the extentsetting method after video information recording in LBN/UDF and that inLBN/XXX will be explained by reference to FIG. 49 and FIGS. 50A and 50B.In both of LBN/UDF and LBN/XXX, the defect management information isrecorded on the information storage medium when a defective area on theinformation storage medium has been found during video informationrecording. In LBN/UDF, the defect management information is recorded inTDM (TDM 3472 indicated by e in FIG. 38) managed by the file system 2.In LBN/UDF, since defects are managed on the file system 2, extent #43574 including defective area 3566 can be set (as indicted by e in FIG.49). In LBN/XXX, the defect management information is recorded in TDL(TDL 3414 indicated by e in FIG. 37) managed by the informationrecording and reproducing device 3 and extents are set, avoiding thedefective area 3566 (see FIG. 50A).

[0881]FIG. 50B shows another embodiment of FIG. 50A.

[0882] A method of managing the defective area 3566 shown in FIG. 50Buses the method written in the column marked with circled 2 in Table 7.Specifically, apart from extent #1 3571, extent #2 3572, and extent #33573 in which video information has been recorded, a defect extent 3595is also set in the defective area 3566 and information on the defectextent is registered in the file entry of the AV file.

[0883] A method of writing the extent information in that case uses along allocation descriptor. For the defect extent 3595, a “defect flag”is provided in Implementation Use 3528 (see FIG. 44) and the flag is setto “1.”

[0884] Consider a case where an extent is set, avoiding the defectivearea 3566 as shown in FIG. 50A. After AV information has been recordedin the form shown in FIG. 49 or indicated by e in FIG. 50A, thefollowing are done:

[0885] (1) After the completion of AV information recording, another PCfile is recorded in the LBN place corresponding to the defective area3566 (in this case, linear replacement is performed).

[0886] (2) To delete the AV file previously recorded, contiguous dataarea #B shown in FIG. 49 or indicated by a in FIG. 50A is deleted.

[0887] (3) The process of recording another AV information in the placeof contiguous data area #B just deleted might take place. In this case,on the LBN space, a PC file has been already recorded in the LBN placecorresponding to the defective area 3566.

[0888] The embodiment LBN/XXX of the present invention is characterizedin that a contiguous data area 3593 can be set in such a manner that itextends over an existing PC file 3582. A concrete setting method will beexplained later in detail in FIG. 56.

[0889] In the present invention, the setting conditions for thecontiguous data area (CDA) 3593 are as follows:

[0890] (a) The total number Npc of the existing PC files 3582 that canexist in the contiguous data area 3593 or defect area subjected linearreplacement has to satisfy expressing (28).

[0891] (b) The total defect size Lskip requiring skipping replacement inthe contiguous data area including the defective area 3586 subjected toskipping replacement has to satisfy expression (29).

[0892] (c) When the optical head accesses the recording area next to thecontiguous data area, avoiding the existing PC file 3582 that can bepresent in the contiguous data area 3593 or the defective area 3586subjected to replacement, rough access times 2348, 1376 have to be madeunnecessary.

[0893] . . . The size of the existing PC file 3582 or the defective area3586 subjected to replacement is set so small that rough access is notneeded during the accessing of the optical head.

[0894] When AV information is recorded in the contiguous data area 3593,AV information about the following is not recorded on the informationstorage medium at all:

[0895] (1) The time required for the optical head to access the nextrecording area, avoiding the existing PC file 3582 that can be presentin the contiguous data area 3593 or the defective area 3586 subjected toreplacement.

[0896] (2) The period of time in which the skipping process is performedon a defective area 3587 subjected to skipping replacement in thepreceding recording and the defective area newly found in the presentrecording.

[0897] Therefore, in the period of time, the amount of video informationtemporarily stored in the semiconductor memory in the informationrecording and reproducing device increases steadily as in the period ofrough access time 1348, fine access time 1343, or rotation wait time1346. Therefore, this period can be treated in the same manner as roughaccess time 1348, fine access time 1343, and rotation wait time 1346.The total size of the defective area 3587 subjected to skippingreplacement in the preceding recording and the defective area newlyfound in the present recording and needing the skipping process isdefined as Lskip.

[0898] The total time Tskip required for the optical head to passthrough Lskip is:

Tskip=Lskip÷PTR  (21)

[0899] Taking this condition into account, expression (8) is rearrangedas:

CDAS≧STR×PTR×(Ta+Tskip)/(PTR−STR)  (22)

[0900] When the optical head accesses the next recording area, avoidingthe existing PC file 3582 that can be present in the contiguous dataarea 3593 or the defective area 3586 subjected to replacement, itaccesses the next recording area by track jumping. At this time, thesize of the existing PC file 3582 and that of the defective area 3586subjected to linear replacement are made smaller to the extent thatrough access times 1348, 1376 are unnecessary.

[0901] In a general DVD-RAM drive, the moving distance of the objectivein fine access is about ±200 μm. The track pitch (Pt) of the DVD-RAMdisk is:

Pt=0.74 μm  (23)

[0902] The minimum data size (Dt) per track is:

Dt=17×2 kilobytes=34 kilobytes  (24)

[0903] From these, the size of each of the existing PC file 3582 and thedefective area 3586 subjected to linear replacement has to be equal toor less than the following:

200÷0.74×34=9190 kilobytes  (25)

[0904] Taking various margins into account, it is desirable that theactual allowed maximum size should be equal or less than ¼ of the valueof equation (25), or 2300 kilobytes. When the above condition issatisfied, only the fine access time 1343 and rotation wait time 1346have only to be taken into account in accessing the next recording areain the contiguous data area. If the fine access time required for oneaccess is JATa, the rotation wait time 1346 is MWTa, and the totalnumber of the existing PC files 3582 in the contiguous data area and thedefective areas subjected to linear replacement is Npc, the total accesstime Tpc required to avoid the above areas is expressed as:

Tpc=Npc×(JATa+MWTa)  (26)

[0905] Taking this time into account, expression (22) is rearranged as:

CDAS≧STR×PTR×(Ta+Tskip+Tpc)/(PTR−STR)  (27)

[0906] Using the respective values of equations (10), (13), and (15)gives the following results, depending on the value of (Tskip+Tpc)/Ta:

[0907] When (Tskip+Tpc)/Ta=20%, this gives CDAS≧6.5 megabytes.

[0908] When (Tskip+Tpc)/Ta=10%, this gives CDAS≧5.9 megabytes.

[0909] When (Tskip+Tpc)/Ta=5%, this gives CDAS≧5.7 megabytes.

[0910] When (Tskip+Tpc)/Ta=3%, this gives CDAS≧5.6 megabytes.

[0911] When (Tskip+Tpc)/Ta=1%, this gives CDAS≧5.5 megabytes.

[0912] From expression (27) and equation (26), the following is derived:

Npc≦{[CDAS×(PTR−STR)/(STR×PTR]−Ta−Tskip}/(JATa+MWTa  (28)

[0913] From expression (27) and equation (21), the following is derived:

Lskip≧{[CDAS×(PTR−STR)/(STR×PTR)]−Ta−Tpc}×PTR  (29)

[0914] Using expression (28), the values of equations (10), (13), and(15), and MWTa≈18 ms, and JATa≈5 ms gives the following results,depending on the value of (Tskip+Tpc)/Ta and the value of Tskip:

[0915] When (Tskip+Tpc)/Ta=10% and Tskip=0, this gives Npc≦6.

[0916] When (Tskip+Tpc)/Ta=5% and Tskip=0, this gives Npc≦3.

[0917] When (Tskip+Tpc)/Ta=3% and Tskip=0, this gives Npc≦1.

[0918] When (Tskip+Tpc)/Ta=1% and Tskip=0, this gives Npc≦0.

[0919] Using expression (29), the values of equations (10), (13), and(15) gives the following results, depending on the value of(Tskip+Tskip)/Ta and the value of Tpc:

[0920] When (Tskip+Tskip)/Ta=10% and Tpc=0, this gives Lskip≦208kilobytes.

[0921] When (Tskip+Tskip)/Ta=5% and Tpc=0, this gives Lskip≦104kilobytes.

[0922] When (Tskip+Tskip)/Ta=3% and Tpc=0, this gives Lskip≦62kilobytes.

[0923] When (Tskip+Tskip)/Ta=1% and Tpc=0, this gives Lskip≦0 kilobytes.

[0924]FIG. 32 is a conceptual diagram of a recording route system tohelp explain continuity in recording.

[0925] In the above explanation, the conceptual diagram of the AVinformation recording route system of FIG. 32 has been used. As long asthe basic concept is examined, no problem is in using FIG. 32. For moredetailed examination, a conceptual model for the recording route systemshown in FIG. 52 will be used.

[0926] When recording is done with the PC system shown in FIG. 1, the AVinformation inputted from the outside world is converted by the MPEGboard 134 into a digital compressed signal, which is temporarilyrecorded in the main memory 112. Under the control of the main CPU 111,the compressed signal is transferred to the information recording andreproducing device 140 side of FIG. 1. The information recording andreproducing device 140 also have the buffer memory 219 in it and storesthe transferred digital AV information temporarily in the buffer memory219.

[0927] A concrete flow of information will be explained by reference toFIGS. 53A to 53C. In a conventional method, the video information 3301stored in the main memory 112 on the PC side shown in FIG. 52 istransferred together with a write command to the information recordingand reproducing device 140 side. The write command in the conventionalmethod specifies LBN indicating the start position of recording and thesize of the data to be transferred. After the transferred videoinformation is stored temporarily in an empty area 3311 (FIG. 53A) towhich no data has been transferred yet in the memory 219 of theinformation recording and reproducing device, it is recorded in arecording place 3327 by the first write command on the informationstorage medium as shown in FIG. 53B. By the next command, the videoinformation is stored temporarily in an area for video information 3315to be recorded on the information storage medium in the memory 219 ofthe information recording and reproducing device, and then the videodata starts to be recorded in an unrecorded area 3324 on the informationstorage medium. When a defective area 3330 has occurred in the middle ofrecording as shown in FIG. 53C, part of the video information 3315 to berecorded does not fit in a specific range (the range of the unrecordedarea 3324) on the information storage medium as a result of skippingreplacement and overflow information 3321 occurs. At the same time, theinformation recording and reproducing device interrupts the recordingprocess.

[0928] As described above, with the conventional command that gives LBNindicating the recording start position and the transfer informationsize, use of the skipping replacement algorithm interrupts the recordingprocess.

[0929] Following is an explanation of a method of the present inventionwhich enables AV information to be recorded continuously for a long timewithout interruption, even when a large number of defect have occurredon the information storage medium.

[0930] A method of recording AV information according to the presentinvention is characterized by comprising the following steps as shown inFIG. 54:

[0931] * The step of judging whether the file to be recorded is an AVfile (ST01).

[0932] * The step of setting the video information recording place onthe information storage medium in advance (ST02).

[0933] *The step of recording AV information on the information storagemedium (ST03).

[0934] *The step of recording the information layout informationactually recorded on the information storage medium in the managementarea on the information storage medium (ST04).

[0935] These steps are mainly controlled by the file system 2.

[0936]FIG. 55 shows the contents of step ST01 of FIG. 54 in furtherdetail. FIG. 56 shows the contents of step ST02 of FIG. 54 in furtherdetail. FIG. 57 shows the contents of step ST03 of FIG. 54 in furtherdetail. FIG. 58 shows the contents of step ST04 of FIG. 54 in furtherdetail.

[0937] All processes on the information storage medium, including therecording of information, the playback of information, and the partialdeleting of the information in an AV file, are started only after therecording/reproducing application 1 in Table 3 has told the file system2 in the OS an outline of the process.

[0938] The recording/reproducing application 1 side informs the filesystem 2 of the outline of the process by issuing a SDK API command 4.Receiving the SDK API command 4, the file system 2 side interprets thecontents of the instructions concretely and issues a DDK interfacecommand 5 to the information recording and reproducing device 3, therebyexecuting a concrete process.

[0939] Table 9 lists the API commands (SDK API command 4) necessary toexecute the processes shown in FIG. 54 in the embodiments of the presentinvention LBN/UDF and LBN/XXX.

[0940] A new matter added and a new command in COMMAND TYPE 3405 inTable 9 are in the scope of the present invention. A series of processescarried out on the recording/reproducing application 1 using the APIcommands will be explained below.

[0941] <AV information recording process>

[0942] 1^(st) STEP: Issue a file create command to inform the OS side ofthe start of recording and the attribute of the target file (whether thefile is an AV file or a PC file).

[0943] 2^(nd) STEP: Issue a set unrecorded area command to specify anestimated maximum size of AV information to be recorded on theinformation storage medium.

[0944] 3^(rd) STEP: Issue a write file command (to OS several times) toinform the OS/file system side of AV information transfer.

[0945] 4^(th) STEP: Issue a set unrecorded area command when the size ofAV information to be recorded in the future is known after the series ofAV information recording processes has been completed, in order tosecure in advance the area in which the AV information is to be recordednext time.

[0946] In the information storage medium of the present invention, bothAV information and PC information can be recorded on the sameinformation storage medium. Thus, there may be a case where PCinformation is recorded in the empty area before the subsequent AVinformation is recorded, with the result that the empty area has runshort when the subsequent AV information is recorded.

[0947] To avoid this, an unused area of a large size is set in an AVfile and the subsequent AV information recording place is reserved inadvance (the 4^(th) STEP may not be executed).

[0948] 5^(th) STEP: Issue a close handle command to inform the OS/filesystem side of the end of the series of recording processes.

[0949] * The conventional PC information recording commands are alsoused as the write file command and close handle command, except that anAV file attribute flag is added to the file create command. Such settingmakes it unnecessary to change the program as a result of changing thevideo information recording method in a higher layer closer to the APIinterface in the multilayer OS. This enables the existing OS software tobe used as it is in the higher layer. On the file system side belongingto a lower-layer part of the OS close to the information recording andreproducing device, only the file system side judges whether the file tobe dealt with by the method of FIG. 55 is an AV file or a PC file andselects a command to be used for the information recording andreproducing device.

[0950] * All addresses for recording places are set in AV addresses.

[0951] <AV/PC Information Playback Process>

[0952] 1^(st) STEP: Issue a file create command to inform the OS side ofthe start of playback.

[0953] 2^(nd) STEP: Issue a read file command (to OS several times) tospecify a series of playback processes.

[0954] 3^(rd) STEP: Issue a close handle command to inform the OS/filesystem side of the end of the series of playback processes.

[0955] * In playback, common processes are performed on both AV filesand PC files.

[0956] * All addresses for playback places are set in AV addresses.

[0957] <Partial deleting process of AV files>

[0958] 1^(st) STEP: Issue a file create command to inform the OS side ofthe name of the file to be deleted partly.

[0959] 2^(nd) STEP: Issue a file partial delete command to specify thedeleting of the specified range.

[0960] . . . In the file partial delete command, the AV address at whichdeleting to be started and the size of the data to be deleted arespecified in parameters.

[0961] 3^(rd) STEP: Issue a close handle command to inform the OS/filesystem side of the end of the series of playback processes.

[0962] <Inquiring about the size of an unrecorded area in which AVinformation can be recorded on the information storage medium>

[0963] 1^(st) STEP: Issue a get AV free space size command to inquireabout the size of an unrecorded area in which AV information can berecorded.

[0964] * Just issuing the get AV free space size command to the OS sideenables the size of the unrecorded area to be obtained from the OS side.

[0965] <Defragmentation process>

[0966] 1^(st) STEP: Issue an AV Defragmentation command to instruct theOS side to execute an AV file Defragmentation process.

[0967] * The AV Defragmentation command alone can carry out the AV fileDefragmentation process.

[0968] * In a concrete method of processing the AV Defragmentationcommand, small pieces of file information of the extent sizeinterspersed on the information storage medium are moved extent byextent and the contiguous data area securing space in the unrecordedarea is widen.

[0969] Table 10 shows a list of the DDK interface commands 5 issued bythe file system 2 to the information recording and reproducing device 3side after having interpreted the SDKAPI command concretely.

[0970] The commands excluding the READ command are either new commandsprovided in the present invention or the existing commands partiallymodified.

[0971] The information recording and reproducing device is connected to,for example, the IEEE 1394 and performs information transfer with aplurality of devices simultaneously. In explanation of Table 3 or FIG.1, the information recording and reproducing device 3 or 140 isconnected only to the single main CPU 111. In contrast, when theinformation recording and reproducing device is connected to the IEEE1394 or the like, it is connected to the main CPU of each device. Toprevent information from being transferred to the wrong device, S10T_ID,identification information for each device, is used. The S10T_ID isissued on the information recording and reproducing device 3 or 140side. A GET FREE SLOT_ID command is issued on the file system 2 side andnot only declares the start and end of AV information using an AV writestart flag and an AV write end flag as parameters but also instructs theinformation recording and reproducing device to issue S10T_ID at thetime of declaring the start of AV information.

[0972] The recording start position in the AV write command is setautomatically as the current position (the subsequent AV information isrecorded from the LBN position at which recording has been completed bythe preceding AV write command). An AV write number is set in each AVwrite command. Using the AV write number, a DISCARD PRECEDING command(see Table 10) makes it possible to cancel the issue of the alreadyissued AV write command recorded in the buffer memory 219 as a commandcache of the information recording and reproducing device.

[0973] As shown in FIG. 33, there is a GET WRTE STATUS command thatenables the file system 2 side to perform a suitable process before theamount of AV information temporarily stored in the buffer memory 219 ofthe information recording and reproducing device. The amount of room inthe buffer memory 219 is reported as the return value 3344 of the GETWRITE STATUS command, which enables the file system 2 side to grasp thestatus of the buffer memory 219.

[0974] In the embodiment of the present invention, the GET WRITE STATUScommand is inserted each time as much AV information as equals recordsin a single contiguous data area is issued in an AV write command, whichcauses the check target size and check start LBN, the command parameters3343 in the GET WRITE STATUS command, to match with the targetcontiguous data area. Because the defective area found in the targetrange is given as the begin LBN of each ECC block using the return value3344, this information is used in setting an extent (ST4-04) after AVinformation has been recorded.

[0975] A SEND PRESENT EXTENT ALLOCATION MAP command is a command toinform the information recording and reproducing device of all thescheduled recording places as LBN information before AV information isrecorded. The command has the number of extents in the scheduledrecording places, the begin position (LBN) for each extent, and the sizeof each extent as command parameters. The scheduled recording places onthe information storage medium are set on the basis of the zone boundaryposition information and the DMA information after LBN conversion, thereturn value of the GET PERFORMANCE issued beforehand.

[0976] Hereinafter, the processing method in each step shown in FIG. 54will be explained in further detail.

[0977] As for identification information about AV files, an AV fileidentification flag 3362, or an identification flag for what is called areal-time recording file, is set in a flags field in ICB tag 3361 in theICB tag 418 of a file entry 3520 as shown in FIGS. 20A and 20B orindicated by f in FIG. 59. Setting the flag to “1” makes it possible tojudge whether the file is an AV file.

[0978] In another embodiment of the present invention, an AV fileidentification flag 3364 may be set in the file identificationdescriptor 3364 as indicated by d in FIG. 60.

[0979]FIG. 55 is a concrete flowchart for the step of judging whetherthe file is an AV file shown in ST01 in FIG. 54.

[0980] Only when the recording/reproducing application 2 side issues acreate file command, processing is started (ST1-01). The method ofdistinguishing an AV file varies depending on the condition (ST1-02) asfollows:

[0981] * When a new AV file is created, the AV file is distinguishedusing the AV file attribute flag in the create file command (ST 103).

[0982] * When AV information is added to the existing AV file, the AVfile is distinguished using the attribute flag for the file alreadyrecorded on the information storage medium as shown in FIG. 59 or 60(ST1-04).

[0983] Use of the method produces the effect of making it unnecessary tomanage the attribute of each file (whether the file is an AV file or aPC file) on the application program 1 side (or of making a judgment onthe file system 2 side automatically and switching the recording method(ST1-05).

[0984] With such a method, when the file is a PC file, the conventionalwrite command and linear replacement algorithm are executed. When thefile is an AV file, the AV write command and skipping replacementalgorithm are executed.

[0985] After having issued the file create command, therecording/reproducing application 1 side sets an estimated maximum valueof the AV information scheduled recording size and issues a setunrecorded area command. On the basis of the distribution of defectsobtained from the specification information and GET PERFORMANCE commandand the zone boundary position information, the contiguous data area isset so as to suit the maximum information size to be recorded (ST02, andST2-05, ST2-06, and ST2-07 in FIG. 56). Of course, before that, the sizeof an AV file unused area to be recorded on the information storagemedium is recognized, information on the defective distribution isacquired, and information on the zone boundary position is acquired(ST2-01 to ST2-04).

[0986] When the embodiment of LBN/XXX in Table 4 is used, equation (25)and expression (27) are used as the setting condition.

[0987] On the basis of the result, information about the allocationdescriptor in the file entry for the relevant AV file is recorded inadvance (AT2-07). Executing this step produces the following effects:

[0988] (a) For example, when the information recording and reproducingdevice is connected to the IEEE 1394 or the like and records data with aplurality of devices simultaneously, it can prevent other informationfrom being written in the position in which data is to be recorded.

[0989] (b) Even when the recording of AV information is interrupted inthe course of continuous recording due to power failure, the informationimmediately before the interruption can be saved by tracing thescheduled recording positions in sequence after restart.

[0990] Thereafter, a send preset extent allocation map command is issuedto inform the information recording and reproducing device side of thescheduled recording position information (ST2-08). Because theinformation recording and reproducing device is well aware of therecording positions on the information storage medium and the recordingsequence by the advance notice, it can assure continuous recordingwithout stopping the recording process, even when the skippingreplacement algorithm is executed frequently due to defects on theinformation storage medium in recording AV information.

[0991] The details of the AV information continuous recording step shownin step ST03 of FIG. 54 will be explained by reference to FIG. 57.

[0992] Using information about information length 3517 shown in equationindicated by d in FIG. 43, the recording start position in the AV fileis checked in advance (ST03-01). When the recording/reproducingapplication 1 issues a write file command (ST3-02), a GET FREE SLOT_IDcommand with an AV write start flag is issued to cause the informationrecording and reproducing device to issue SLOT_ID (ST3-03).

[0993]FIG. 61 pictorially shows the continuous recording method inST3-04 and later. The pieces of video information #1, #2, and #3 storedin the main memory by the AV write command are transferred to the buffermemory 219 in the information recording and reproducing deviceperiodically. The video information accumulated in the buffer memory 219in the information recording and reproducing device is recorded on theinformation storage medium via the optical head 202. When a defectivearea 3351 has occurred on the information storage medium 201, theskipping replacement algorithm is executed. In the meantime, the videoinformation is not recorded on the information storage medium 201, withthe result that the amount of video information temporarily stored inthe buffer memory 219 in the information recording and reproducingdevice increases. The file system 2 side issues a GET WRITE STATUScommand at regular intervals of time and monitors the amount of videoinformation temporarily stored in the buffer memory 219. When the amountof video information temporarily stored is going to be saturated, thefile system side executes one of the following:

[0994] (1) Issue a DISCARD PRECEDING COMMAND command to delete part ofthe command cache in the information recording and reproducing device.

[0995] (2) Issue the next AV write command to limit (or decrease) theamount of video information to be transferred to the informationrecording and reproducing device.

[0996] (3) Delay the time at which the next AV write command is issuedto the information recording and reproducing device and wait until theamount of video information temporarily stored in the buffer memory 219in the information recording and reproducing device becomes smaller.

[0997] The above contents will be explained using concrete examplesshown in FIGS. 62 to 69. The transition of recording information inthree stages is shown in FIGS. 62 to 69. The first stage corresponds tothe memory on the PC side, the second stage corresponds to the memory inthe information recording and reproducing device, and the third stepcorresponds to the recording position on the information storage medium.

[0998] A SENT PRESET extent allocation map command preceded by circled 1in FIG. 62 is issued according to step ST2-08 in FIG. 56. As shown inTable 10, since in this command, the extent begin position informationand extent size information are set as command parameters, “aa” and “ed”and “g” , the begin position LBN for extent=CDA, and “c−a” and “f−d” ,extent=CDA size, are added. Moreover, AV write commands preceded bycircled 2 and circled 3 are issued so as to record video information inCDA #1 in two separate actions.

[0999] Next, to grasp the recorded state of CDA #1, a GET WRITE STATUScommand preceded by circled 4 is issued.

[1000] To specify CDA #1 as a check target by the GET WRITE STATUScommand, “a” is set as the begin LBN for the check target range, the setvalue of a parameter, and “c−a” is set as the check target range.Similarly, AV write commands preceded by circled 5 and circled 6 areissued so as to record video information in CDA #2 in two separateactions. Then, to grasp the recorded state of CDA #2, a GET WRITE STATUScommand preceded by circled 7 is issued.

[1001] The command is sent to the information recording and reproducingdevice at a time and command cache is performed (ST3-05 in FIG. 57).

[1002] When there is no defect in the unused place 3371 on theinformation storage medium shown in FIG. 63, recording information a3361 is recorded on the information storage medium as shown in FIG. 64.Next, when a defective area 3375 has occurred as shown in FIG. 65, theskipping replacement algorithm is executed. Part of the videoinformation scheduled to be recorded in CDA #1 overflows. However, sincethe second present extent allocation map command has informed theinformation recording and reproducing device 3 side of the location inwhich information is to be recorded next, the overflowed information isstored in the location 3371, shift information β3. Information about thedefective area 3375 is reported as the return value 3344 of GET WRITESTATUS command preceded by circled 4 to the file system 2 side (seeST3-05 in FIG. 57, and FIGS. 62 and 66). The file system 2 judgeswhether the buffer memory 219 in the information recording andreproducing device (ODD) 3 is going to overflow (ST3-06 in FIG. 57).Then, in a concrete method shown in ST3-07 in FIG. 57, a DISCARDPRECEDING COMMAND command (indicated by circled 9 in FIG. 66) is used tocancel the AV write command (circled 8 in FIG. 62), a write commandabout the video information to be recorded in CAD #3 and then an AVwrite command (circled 10 in FIG. 66) is used to issue a command tolimit (or decrease) the amount of video information to be transferred.

[1003] Because the feedback to CDA #2 is not in time, recording is doneon the information storage medium as scheduled at the beginning as shownin FIG. 67.

[1004] As shown in FIG. 68, the recording start position in the AV writecommand used here is not the current position. It is assumed that thefile system 2 side specifies the recording start position. In this case,too, the recording start position in which recording is actually done isallowed to deviated substantially from the recording start positionspecified by the file system 2 side on the basis of the defective areafound in recording the preceding video information.

[1005] After the series of recording processes has been completed, aClose Handle command issued from the recording/reproducing applicationcauses the file system 2 to issue a GET FREE SLOT_ID command with an AVwrite end flag to the information recording and reproducing device 3side. Receiving the command, the information recording and reproducingdevice 3 adds the defective information found in the series of recordingprocesses to TDL3414 in FIG. 37.

[1006] As the postprocess in recording the video information, the sizeof the unused area left in the AV files is determined on the basis ofthe SET Unrecorded area command information (ST403 in FIG. 58) specifiedby the recording/reproducing application 1 side. Then, the rewriting ofinformation length 3517 (ST4-05), the rewriting of the final extentinformation (ST4-04), and the rewriting of setting information about UDFare effected.

[1007] Next, the procedure for allocating extents in recording real-timefiles will be explained.

[1008] The extent allocation procedure is designed to prevent underflowfrom occurring the buffer during playback.

[1009] When the symbols below are defined, the procedures for extentscan be explained using the symbols:

[1010] Ai: Preallocation area (area physically connected by ECC andsearched for before recording).

[1011] Ei: Unused extent (empty extent).

[1012] RTi: Real-time extent.

[1013] T_(RI): Ai read time.

[1014] T_(m,n): Access time from the end of area Am to the startposition of area An.

[1015] T_(k): the maximum time of one revolution period.

[1016] t2 _(i−2): Start time of reading from area Ai.

[1017] t2 _(i−1): End time of reading from area Ai.

[1018] B(t): The amount of data in the buffer memory at time t.

[1019] B_(max): Buffer memory size.

[1020] B_(F): The minimum amount of data in the buffer memory to set apreallocation area to be registered as an unused extent.

[1021] p: The maximum number of preallocation areas already registeredas unused extents.

[1022] Step 1 . . . Search of Unallocated Areas.

[1023] Unallocated areas (unused areas) physically connected aresearched for by reference to the space bit map descriptor. At this time,the physical allocation data indicating the zone boundary and defectiveECC blocks/sectors is also referred to. The unallocated area whose startlogical number and length are an integral multiple of 16 logical sectorsis regarded as preallocated area.

[1024] Even if some preallocated areas have not been used in recordingreal-time data, unallocated areas are searched for, provided that thetotal size of unallocated areas is large enough for the preset size ofrecording data. The space bit map descriptor is updated to reserve allthe preallocated areas.

[1025] Step 2 . . . Calculate the Read Time and Access Time.

[1026] Using data rate V_(in), the read time T_(Ri) for eachpreallocated area Ai is calculated. The access time Ti,I+1 based onaccess operation is calculated.

[1027] Step 3 . . . Calculate the Amount of Data B(t) at the End of ReadOperation.

[1028] The amount of data B(t) is calculated at the last time when thedata is read from area Ai. B(t_(2i−1))=B(t_(2i−2))+(Vin−Vout)×T_(Ri).

[1029] After the data has been read from area Ai, the overflowing stateof the buffer memory is checked.

[1030] If the amount of data B(t_(2i−1)) has exceeded the size Bmax ofthe buffer memory, B(t_(2i−1)) is corrected to be B(t_(2i−1))−k×Tk (k isa positive integer). This is a value smaller than Bmax.

[1031] Next, the total size of preallocated areas is checked. If thetotal size of preallocated areas Aj (from j=1 to 0) has exceeded thepredetermined size (=Vout X recording time) of recording data, thepreallocated areas Aj (from j=P+1 to i) are registered as unused extentsEj (from j=p+1 to i). Then, control proceeds to step 5 explained later.

[1032] Next, the amount of data B(t) at the end of the read time forarea Ai is checked. If the amount of data B(t_(2i−1)) has exceeded theminimum amount of data BF (=Vout×T_(L)), the preallocated areas Aj (fromj=P+1 to i) are registered as unused extents Ej (from j=p+1 to i), whichare numbered from p to i.

[1033] Step 4 . . . Calculate the amount of data B(t) at the start ofread operation.

[1034] The amount of data B(t) at the start of reading data from areaAi+1 is calculated. B(t_(2i))=B(t_(2i−1))−(Vout×T_(i,i+1)).

[1035] Next, after the data has been read, the buffer memory is checkedfor underflow. If the amount of data B(t_(2i)) is less than 0, thefollowing subroutine will operate.

[1036] Aj (from j=p+1 to i+1) is searched for the most effectivepreallocated area Ak. The purpose for this is to reduce the amount ofdata in the buffer memory. Aj is searched for, while comparison is beingmade as seen in value (B(t_(2j−3))−B(t_(2j−1)) where j=p+1 to i+1).

[1037] From preallocated areas Ai+1, Ai* (i=k, k+1, k+2, . . . ) arespecified again. On the accessing process, access time T_(k−1, k+1) iscalculated and set as T_(k−1,k*).

[1038] From access time T_(i−2,i+2), T_(i, i+1) is specified again. Fromread times TRi+1, TRi* (i=k, k+2, k+2, . . . ) are specified again.Then, i is set to p and control goes to step 4, otherwise i isincremented by +1 and control goes to step 3.

[1039] Step 5 . . . Record Real-time Data.

[1040] In this step, real-time data (AV data) is recorded in the unusedextent registered in step 3. When the recording is ended in the middleof the preallocated area, the preallocated area is divided into areal-time extent, an unused extent, an unrecorded area. This is becausedata is recorded in ECC block units at a variable data rate.

[1041] Step 6 . . . Record the File Structure.

[1042] In this step, an information control block (ICB) is created. Inthe block, a real-time extent (recorded section) and unused (empty)extent are shown. To release the preallocated area not used for areal-time file, the space bit map is updated.

[1043] The management information about the unused extent and that aboutthe information length, and further the setting of the unused extent arethe same as explained earlier.

[1044] The procedure for reproducing the video information in an AV fileby reference to FIG. 70. Table shows the following:

[1045] * The recording/reproducing application 1 uses AV addresses asaddress information to be managed and further uses AV addresses to setaddresses in SDKAPI command 4 issued to the file system 2.

[1046] * The file system 2 uses LBN (or LSN depending on the situation)as address information to be managed and further uses LBN to setaddresses in DDK Interface command 5 issued to the information recordingand reproducing device 3.

[1047] * The information recording and reproducing device 3 managesaddresses using PSN.

[1048] Therefore, when the recording/reproducing application 1determines the place to be reproduced and issues a read file command,then the file system 2 performs “AV→address LBN conversion” (ST06 inFIG. 70) and the information recording and reproducing device 3 performs“LBN→PSN conversion” (ST07).

[1049] In the method of deleting part of an AV file, the AV informationrecorded on the information storage medium is not processed at all asshown in FIG. 71 and only two things are performed: the file entryinformation on the file system 2 is rewritten (ST09 in FIG. 71) andinformation about UDF is changed.

[1050] Then, to register the partly deleted place as an unrecorded area,the partly deleted place is added to the information in the unallocatedspace table 452 or unallocated space bit map 435, the unrecorded areainformation on UDF (ST10). Finally, the management information about thevideo-recording video management data file is rewritten (ST11).

[1051] Of the embodiments listed in Table 4, the following management isperformed in LBN/ODD-PS.

[1052] It is assumed that a video data recording area 12 and an unusedarea 13 have appeared as a result of new video-recording in the case ofthe contiguous data area minimum size 11 previously set as shown in FIG.72. Then, at the LBN level, a contiguous data area 14 is newly set and aspare area 18 is added to this area. Next, at the PSN level, datarecording areas 15, 16, and a defective area 17, if any, are set, andfurther a spare area 19 is secured. Then, All of these are set as a newAV extent 20 at LBN level.

[1053] Specifically, a spare area 18 is added automatically to eachcontiguous data area, thereby forming an AV extent 20 as shown in FIG.72. LBN is also set in the added spare area 18. Similarly, LBN is alsoset in the defective area 17. The defective area 17 on the informationstorage medium 17 is subjected to the skipping replacement algorithm.Then, an LBN setting method as indicated by γ in FIG. 35 is carried out.The difference from the other embodiments is that the file system 2 sideis not informed of the location of the defective area, although LBN hasbeen allocated to the defective area, and only the information recordingand reproducing device manages the location of the defective area 17.When the file system 2 side is required to reproduce information, an AVread command issued to the information recording and reproducing devicespecifies LBN indicating the start position of an AV extent 20 servingas a reference, the effective playback start position counted from thestart position (excluding the defective area), and the real size of datato be reproduced (on the assumption that skipping is done at thedefective spot). This enables the information recording and reproducingdevice side to reproduce the information, avoiding the defective area 17automatically, and gives a replay to the file system 2 side.

[1054]FIG. 73 shows a management form in writing information over partof the already recorded information. In this case, information isallowed to be written only over from the middle to the end of thecontiguous data area 34. Specifically, a video data recording area 35recorded in the past includes a data recording area 23 and a defectivearea 28, if any. A spare area 31 is added to these. When overwriting isdone in the middle, the contiguous data area 34 is set. The contiguousdata area 34 includes a video data area 36 recorded in the past and avideo data recording area 37 newly overwritten (AV address level).

[1055] At the PSN level, data recording areas 25, 26, 27 and defectiveareas 29, 30 are managed. In addition, a spare area 32 is set.

[1056]FIG. 74 shows two management forms when overwriting is stoppedhalfway. In this case, the information already recorded after that inthe same contiguous data area (CDA) is treated as invalid. (a) A casewhere overwriting is done from the beginning of the CDA and (b) a casewhere overwriting is done from the middle of the CDA are shown.

[1057]FIG. 75 shows a management form in deleting part of an AV file. Inthis case, a decision is made to effect partial deleting in units ofcontiguous data area (e.g., AV extent #2 46).

[1058] Table 11 to Table 14 show the parameters for the commands relatedto recording and playback in the embodiment LBN/ODD-PS and the contentsof the commands.

[1059] Table 11 relates to a write command from therecording/reproducing application to the file system. Table 12 relatesto a read command. Table 13 relates to a write command from the filesystem to the recording and reproducing device. Table 14 relates to aread command.

[1060]FIGS. 76, 77, and 78 show the process of recording video data inthe embodiment LBN/ODD-PS and the corresponding flowcharts. FIGS. 77 and78 give a description of the way of processing video data #1 and videodata #2 to be recorded as shown in FIG. 76.

[1061] The embodiment of the present invention is characterized in thatthe skipping replacement process is completed in each AV extent usingspare areas 3111, 3112 added to each of AV extent #1 3101 and AV extent#2 3102.

[1062] Hereinafter, each step will be described as follow:

[1063] Set the size of contiguous data area #1 3106 initially on therecording/reproducing application 1 side (ST21).

[1064] Inquire recommended (spare area size)/(contiguous data area size)value from ODD (information recording and reproducing device) 3 (ST22).

[1065] Set the size of AV extent #1 3101 initially (set spare area size#1) (ST23).

[1066] . . . Spare area size #1 3111 is set on the“recording/reproducing 1 side” or “file system 2 side.”

[1067] Transfer video data 3125 to the ODD 3 side using a first AV writecommand (ST24).

[1068] Execute the skipping process in ODD 3, when a defective area 3138has been found in recording information on the information storagemedium (ST25).

[1069] Transfer video data 3126 to the ODD 3 side using a second AVwrite command (ST26).

[1070] . . . The last recording in AV extent #1 3101 is known in thesecond AV write command (using the last flag of the contiguous data areaflag).

[1071] . . . Put together the information in the last AV extent #1 3103on the file system 2 side and store the result temporarily in the buffermemory on the file system 2 side (ST27).

[1072] Set the size of contiguous data area #2 3102 initially on therecording and reproducing application 1 side (ST28).

[1073] Set the size of AV extent #2 3102 initially (set spare area size#2) (ST29).

[1074] . . . Spare area size #2 3112 is set on the“recording/reproducing 1 side” or “file system 2 side.”

[1075] Transfer video data 3127 to the ODD 3 side using a third AV writecommand (ST30).

[1076] Execute the skipping process in ODD 3, when a defective area 3139has been found in recording information on the information storagemedium (ST31).

[1077] The user presses the video-recording end button (ST32).

[1078] Determine the unused area size 3136 according to the contiguousdata area minimum size 11 determined previously on therecording/reproducing application side (ST33).

[1079] Reconsider the size 3113 of spare area #2 according to the actualdata size 3109 of contiguous data area #2 (St34).

[1080] Transfer video data 3128 to the ODD 3 side using a fourth AVwrite command (ST35).

[1081] . . . At the same time, an untransferred area in the LBN space issecured from the unused area information (the number n of bytereservations and the space hold length).

[1082] . . . The last recording in AV extent #2 3104 is known in thefourth AV write command (using the end flag of the contiguous data areaflag).

[1083] Put together the information in the last AV extent(#2) 3104 onthe file system 2 side and store the result temporarily in the buffermemory on the file system 2 side (ST36).

[1084] Additionally write the necessary information in the directorymanagement area of the file system 2 (ST37).

[1085]FIGS. 79 and 80 show a method of creating a replacement-only file3501 and another embodiment of the invention related to the process ofreplacing a defective area by this method.

[1086] In the above embodiments, the information recording andreproducing device 3 carries out most of the process of replacing adefective area using the method of creating the replacement-only file3501.

[1087] In contrast, the embodiment of FIGS. 79 and 80 is characterizedin that the file system 2 carries out most of such a process.

[1088] In FIG. 79, the method of creating the replacement-only file 3501will be explained.

[1089] After an information storage medium has been installed in theinformation recording and reproducing device (step ST41) and theinformation recording and reproducing device 3 has been prepared forprocessing, the file system 2 issues a command (Get Spare Area SpaceCommand) to the information recording and reproducing device 3 andcauses the information recording and reproducing device to determine theempty area size in the spare area from DMA information 663, 691 on theinformation storage medium (step ST53).

[1090] Receiving the Get Spare Area Space Command, the informationrecording and reproducing device 3 determines the empty area size in thespare area from DMA information 663, 691 on the information storagemedium and reports the result to the file system 2 side (step ST54).Receiving the empty area size, the file system 2 side judges whetherthere is a sufficient replacement area left in the spare area on theinformation storage medium (step ST43).

[1091] When there is a sufficient replacement area left (YES in stepST43), the file system 2 issues a command (SET DEFECT MANAGEMENTCommand) to the information recording and reproducing device 3 side andinstructs the information recording and reproducing device 3 side tomanage defects on the information storage medium and record the defectmanagement information in the DMA areas 663, 691 on the informationstorage medium (step ST52).

[1092] When there is no replacement area left (NO in step ST43), thefile system judges whether the replacement-only file 3501 has existedalready (step ST55). If the existing replacement-only file 3501 ispresent (YES in step ST55), the file system judges whether there is asufficient empty storage capacity in the existing replacement-only file(step ST56).

[1093] The file system 2 senses the empty storage capacity in thereplacement-only file 3501 from the replacement information recorded ina secondary defect map SDM 3471 created on information storage medium.

[1094] If there is a sufficient empty storage capacity in the existingreplacement-only file 3501 (YES in step ST56), a new replacement-onlyfile 3501 is not created. If the existing replacement-only file 3501 isnot present (NO in step ST55), or if the empty storage capacity in theexisting replacement-only file 3501 is insufficient (NO in step ST56),it is judged whether as enough an empty storage capacity as enables thereplacement-only file 3501 to be registered newly is left on theinformation storage medium (step ST556).

[1095] If as enough an empty storage capacity as enables thereplacement-only file 3501 to be registered newly is left on theinformation storage medium (YES in step ST556), the file system 2 sidecreates a replacement-only file 3501 newly and registers the new file(step ST58).

[1096] When the information storage medium is a disk with a largestorage capacity of 4.7 gigabytes or more, a single replacement-onlyfile can be made to have a relatively large storage capacity of about 32megabytes.

[1097] If there is no empty storage capacity on the information storagemedium in which a new replacement-only file 3501 can be registered (NOin step ST556), error processing, such as outputting a message to promptthe user to replace the medium, is done (step ST558).

[1098] When the file system side creates the replacement-only file 3501in the process in step ST58, the file is taken as a hidden file andadded to the directory.

[1099] The identification information about the replacement-only file3501 is recorded in a replacement-only file flag (replacement areasetting file flag) 3371 in the file identification descriptor 3364.Specifically, in the case of the replacement-only file 3501, the bit ofthe replacement area setting flag 3371 is made “1.” As another exampleof identification information about the replacement-only file 3501, areplacement-only file flag (replacement area setting file flag) 3372 maybe provided in the ICB tag 418 in the file entry 3520 provided in thedisk.

[1100] Next, the process of replacing a defective area carried outmainly by the file system 2 using the replacement-only file 3501 createdthrough the procedure of FIG. 79 will be explained by reference to FIGS.80 and 81.

[1101] In FIGS. 80 and 81, after an information storage medium has beeninstalled in the information recording and reproducing device and theinformation recording and reproducing device 3 side has been prepared towrite information, the file system 2 side issues a command (GET SPAREARE SPACE Command) to the information recording and reproducing device 3side and causes the information recording and reproducing device todetermine the empty area size in the spare area from DMA information663, 681 on the information storage medium (step ST53).

[1102] Receiving the command, the information recording and reproducingdevice 3 determines the empty area size in the spare area from DMAinformation 663, 691 on the information storage medium and reports theresult to the file system 2 side (step ST54).

[1103] Receiving the result, the file system 2 side judges whether thereis a sufficient replacement area left in the spare area on theinformation storage medium (step ST43).

[1104] If there is a sufficient replacement area left, the file system 2side issues a command (SET DEFECT MANAGEMENT Command) to the informationrecording and reproducing device 3 side and instructs the informationrecording and reproducing device 3 side to manage defects on theinformation storage medium and record the defect management informationin the DMA areas 663, 691 on the information storage medium (step ST52).

[1105] When there is no sufficient replacement area left in the sparearea, the file system 2 decides the use of the replacement-only file3501 created by the aforementioned processing procedure.

[1106] When information is recorded on the information storage medium,the file system 2 side issues a write command (WRITE Command) to theinformation recording and reproducing device 3 and instructs theinformation recording and reproducing device to record PC information(step ST59).

[1107] The information recording and reproducing device 3 records the PCinformation in the place on the information storage medium specified bythe file system 2 using the write command and, when encountering adefective ECC block, temporarily stores information about the begin LBNof the defective ECC block and the information to have been recorded inthe defective ECC block into the buffer memory 219 in the informationrecording and reproducing device 3 (step ST60).

[1108] The present embodiment is characterized in that the informationrecording and reproducing device 3 temporarily stores information aboutthe begin LBN of the defective ECC block and the information to havebeen recorded in the defective ECC block into the buffer memory 219 inthe information recording and reproducing device 3, without informingthe file system of the found defect each time a defective ECC block isencountered.

[1109] After the series of recording process has been completed, thefile system 2 issues a command (GE DEFECT LIST Command) to theinformation recording and reproducing device 3 and asks the informationrecording and reproducing device for information about the position ofthe defect (step ST61). The contents of the replay to the command givenby the information recording and reproducing device 3 to the file system2 include (1) the number of defective ECC blocks and (2) informationabout the begin LBN of each ECC block (step ST62).

[1110] Receiving the reply from the information recording andreproducing device 3, the file system 2 sets a replacement place for thedefective ECC block in the replacement-only file 3501 and issues acommand (SET SPARE AREA LIST Command) to the information recording andreproducing device 3 to inform the information recording and reproducingdevice of LBN for the replacement area for each defective area (stepST63).

[1111] The parameter for the command (SET SPARE AREA LIST Command) iseach begin LBN of the replacement ECC block in the replacement-only file3501.

[1112] As a result, on the basis of the replacement ECC block reportedfrom the file system 2, the information recording and reproducing device3 carries out the replacement process using the linear replacementalgorithm (step ST64).

[1113] After the information recording and reproducing device side hascompleted the replacement process, the file system 2 side adds theaforementioned replacement process information to the secondary defectmap (SDM) 3471 in the sparing table 469 (step ST65).

[1114] If in step ST60, the information recording and reproducing deviceinformed the file system 2 of the occurrence of a defect each time itencountered a defective ECC block during recording, it would take timefor the information recording and reproducing device 3 to exchangecommands with the file system 2 side. Since the time required toexchange commands accounts for a relatively large proportion of the timerequired for actual recording, it is needed to decrease the processingtime by reducing exchanges of commands in recording as much as possible.

[1115] For this reason, in the embodiment of the present invention, theinformation recording and reproducing device does not inform the filesystem 2 of the defect each time it has encountered a defective ECCblock. Instead, the information recording and reproducing devicetemporarily stores “the defective ECC block position information” and“the information to have been recorded in the defective ECC block” oneafter another into the buffer memory 219 in the information recordingand reproducing device. After the series of recording processes has beencompleted, the information recording and reproducing device carries outthe replacement process at a time by exchanging only two commands (GETDEFECT LIST Command and SET SPARE AREA LIST Command). This reduces thenumber of exchanges of commands between the information recording andreproducing device 3 and the file system 2 remarkably, therebydecreasing the overall processing time remarkably.

[1116] In the embodiment of FIGS. 80 and 81, the replacement process(ST52) using the spare area 724 and the replacement process (ST59 toST65) using the replacement-only file 3501 are carried outindependently. Namely, the replacement process (ST52) using the sparearea and the replacement process using the replacement-only file 1 arenot carried out at the same time.

[1117] When the spare area has been used up, it was impossible tosubject PC information to the replacement process in the conventionalequivalent. In the above embodiment, however, since there is areplacement-only file even when the spare area has been used up, it ispossible to subject PC information to the replacement process.

[1118] Furthermore, even when each replacement-only file (for example,with a storage capacity of about 32 megabytes) has been used up, anotherreplacement-only file can be added newly, as long as there is asufficient empty storage capacity left on the medium. By adding areplacement-only file, if necessary, the replacement process can becontinued even when many defects have occurred on the medium being used,which enables the information to be recorded continuously withoutinterruption.

[1119] As another embodiment of the present invention, a method ofrecording and managing still another defective management informationand unused area information will be explained.

[1120] In the example of FIG. 82, to additionally write VOB #2 3618 of asmall data size in contiguous data area #3 3602, an unused area extent3613 is set for the deficiency in contiguous data area #A3602. Whenvideo information or AV information is recorded additionally in an AVfile 2620 next time, recording will be started from the begin position(h+g in LBN and k+g in PSN) of the unused area extent 3613.

[1121] Although not shown, although not shown, VOB #3 existed in thepast in such a manner that it extends over part of contiguous data area#α 3601 and part of contiguous data area #β3602 between VOB #1 3617 andVOB #2 3618. As a result of VOB #3 being partly deleted, the part of VOB#3 extending over contiguous data area #α 3601 and contiguous data area#β 3602 is subjected to the process explained in FIG. 46. An unused areaextent 3611 and an unused area extent 3612 are set on the file system 2side. Because a defect in ECC blocks in the range form “h+a” to “h+b−1”in LBN has been found in recording VOB #1, video information or AVinformation is not recorded there and that place has been set as adefective area extent 3609.

[1122] As described above, in contiguous data area #a 3601 andcontiguous data area #β 3602, recording area extent 3605, defective areaextent 3609, recording area extent 3606, unused area extent 2611, unusedarea extent 3612, recording area extent 3607, and unused area extent3613 are arranged side by side. All of these are considered to be par tothe AV file 3620. As the allocation descriptors in the file entry to theAV file 3620, all the extents are registered.

[1123] In the file entry, AD (a, h: recording), AD (b−a, h+a : defect),AD (c−b, h+b: recording), AD (d−c, h+c: unused), AD (f−e, h+e: unused),AD (g−f, h+f: recording), and AD (j+g, h+g: unused) are registered. Thecontents of an allocation descriptor include AD (extent size, extentbegin position, extent attribute).

[1124] The most noticeable characteristic in FIG. 82 is that onlyinformation about the defective area extent 3609 registered in the fileentry serves as defect management information without a defectmanagement table organized independently, such as the tertiary defectmap (TDM) 3472 in the defect management information area (DMA). Theattribute identification information about each extent in the allocationdescriptor in the file entry to the AV file 3620 has been recorded inImplementation Use 3528 indicated by f in FIG. 83.

[1125] In FIG. 83, the describing system for long allocation descriptorsis employed as a method of describing allocation descriptors. When thevalue of Implementation Use 3528 is “0h,” this means “the extent for arecording area.” When the value is “Ah,” this means “the extent for adefective area.” When the value is “Fh,” this means “the extent for adefective area.” Although in the official standard of UDF,Implementation Use has to be written in 6 bytes, only the low-order 4bits are shown to simplify explanation in FIG. 83. In FIG. 82, LBN andPSN are set for both a defective area and an unused area. All LBN andPSN take the values of parallel translation. Specifically, theembodiment of the present invention is characterized by preventing LBNfrom skipping with respect to PSN as found in the result of the linearreplacement algorithm. AV addresses are allocated only to the placeswhere recording extents 3605, 3606, 3607 exist. The AV addresses aresuch that all the sectors excluding the defective area extent 3609,unused area extents 3611, 3612, 3613 in the AV file 3620 are assignednumbers in the order in which allocation descriptors are written in thefile entry. Specifically, in the first sector in recording area extent3605, LBN is set to “h,” PSN is set to “k,” and AV address is set to“0.” In the first sector in recording area extent 3607, LBN is set to“h+f,” PSN is set to “k+f,” and AV address is set to “a+c−b.”

[1126] On a DVD-RAM disk, information is recorded in units of ECC block502. Therefore, in the embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 82,the file system 2 side performs management in such a manner thatrecording is done in ECC blocks. Specifically, the file system 2performs control in such a manner that recording is done in ECC blocksby setting extents. A concrete explanation will be given as follows. Allof “a,” “b,” “d,” “e,” and “j” are so set that they are a multiple of16. In addition, the start positions of contiguous data area #α 3601 andcontiguous data area #β 3602 become the begin position of an ECC block,and the end positions of the former become the end position of the ECCblock.

[1127] Since a defective area is processed in ECC blocks, the start andend positions of the defect area extent 3609 coincide with the start andend positions in the ECC block. Each of VOB #1 3616, 3617 and VOB #23618 size are not necessarily recorded in units of 16 sectors. Theoverflow from the partial ECC blocks in VOB #1 3616, 3617 and VOB #23618 is corrected using the size of the unused area extents 3611, 3612,3613.

[1128] The method of recording video information or AV information inthe embodiment of FIG. 82 is the same as that of FIG. 54 except that therecording of information into the Tertiary Defect List (TDL) 3414 in theDMA area is unnecessary in ST4-01 of FIG. 58 and the defective extent3609 and unused area extents 3611, 3612, 2613 are added to the extentinformation in ST4-04.

[1129] The present method is characterized in that, although “AVaddress→LBN conversion→PSN conversion” is caused in the procedure forplayback, the attribute for each extent is sensed from the allocationdescriptor in the file entry during “AV address→LBN conversion” and onlythe recording area extents 3605, 2606, 3607 are to be reproduced (theprocess of making a selection from the defective extent 3609 and unusedarea extents 3611, 3612, 2613).

[1130] Even in deleting part of a file, the process of inserting anunused area extent is necessary, taking into account the contiguous dataarea size and ECC block boundary area place, in the process of rewritingthe extent information in the file entry to an AV file (ST09).

[1131] A disk produced as described above is packed as shown in FIG. 84and shipped. Specifically, the disk body is housed in a cartridge andfurther wrapped with a wrapping sheet.

[1132] The processes ranging from manufacturing optical to shipping thefinished products will be explained briefly. Disks (which enablesrecording and reproducing by the phase change method and are composed ofa single layer, or two layers or more laminated together) aremanufactured. In each disk, physical sector numbers (PSN) have been setand embossed zones have been recorded beforehand. Next, the disk isinitialized. At this time, the disk is formatted, which recordsrewritable zones on the disk. At this time, the areas including DMA1,DMA2, DMA3, DMA4 are formed. In addition, the areas PDL, SDL, and TDL(the defect management areas for the skipping process) are formed.

[1133] Next, the disk front surface is subjected to the Certify process.In the Certify process, specific data is recorded on all the surfacesand the front surface is reproduced to find defects. At this time, whenthe disk is designed to be capable of recording and reproducing PC datatoo, defective spots are recorded in PDL.

[1134] When the disk is designed to record only AV data, defectiveplaces are recorded as defect management information in TDL.

[1135] The above processes enable logical block numbers (LBN) to be seton the disk. This is because the drive unit side can create a PNL→LBNconversion table using DMA (defect management areas: PDL, SDL, TDL).

[1136] Next, conditions are set on the disk so that UDF may be used fora file system. Specifically, the volume recognition procedure (volumerecognition sequence) 444, the main volume describing procedure (mainvolume descriptor sequence) 449, a first anchor point 456, a secondanchor point 457, and the reserve volume describing procedure (reservevolume descriptor sequence) 467 are recorded on the disk.

[1137] Next, places in which AV data can be recorded are formed:

[1138] (a) A root directory 1450 is formed in the recording area (LBNspace) on the disk.

[1139] (b) A management file (RWVIDEO_CONTROL.IFO) in which AV data canbe recorded is created.

[1140] (c) A file in which moving pictures/still pictures, sound, andthumbnails can be recorded is created.

[1141] (d) In each file 1401, management information on the basis of AVaddresses is recorded in (RWVIDEO_CONTROL.IFO). At this time,information about the recording position of each file (allocation-descriptor in the file entry) is recorded in logical block numbers(LBN).

[1142] Finally, the process of aligning data in recording information inthe above system will be explained further.

[1143]FIG. 85 shows an example of the relationship between the AV datarecording areas recorded by the recording method of the presentinvention and ECC blocks #1 to #4. When AV data has been recorded, theboundary between EEC block units does not always coincide with the endposition of the AV data. Therefore, in the recording method of thepresent invention, when there is a gap between the ECC block (in theexample shown, #3) and the end of the AV data, a padding extent iscreated and recorded in that part. Namely, the end of the AV datarecording area is always designed to maintain the boundary between ECCblocks.

[1144] In this situation, when AV data or other data is written nexttime, the data can be written from the beginning of the next ECC block,making it easier to process data.

[1145] An embodiment that does not insert the padding extent ispossible.

[1146] Specifically, if the padding extent of FIG. 85 does not exist,when AV data is written next time, processing is done in ECC blocksthrough the procedure as shown in FIG. 86.

[1147] As shown in FIG. 86, when an instruction to start recording isgiven, the data near the end of the data area already recorded is firstread (steps B1, B2). This causes the recording/reproducing applicationto recognize that the data has been recorded up to part of ECC block #3.In this case, the ECC block #3 is read and the data to be written nextis concatenated to the read data, thereby creating ECC block #3, whichis then recorded. Specifically, the read data is decoded once (step B3)and the data to be written next is concatenated to the decoded data tocreate new ECC block #3 (step B4). Thereafter, data is written in ECCblocks (step B5).

[1148] The characteristics of the present invention are summarized asfollows:

[1149] Point 1: LBN are set for both of the defective areas set by theskipping process and the replacement areas for the defective areas.These areas are included in the user area.

[1150] Point 2: The replacement areas (places immediately after theskipping process) can be set arbitrarily on the LBN space. Specifically,the replacement areas can be set arbitrarily in a first area (user area)in which the user can record information.

[1151] Point 3: In the same location on the disk, an AV address (a firstaddress) and LBN (a second address) are set. Specifically, both a firstaddress number and a second address number are allocated to the samelocation in the recording area on the information storage medium.

[1152] Point 4: The AV addresses not include the defect/replacement areaand the LBN space includes the defect/replacement area. Specifically,the first address number and the second address number are assigned tothe replacement area and only the first address number is assigned to adefective area (the second address number is not assigned to thedefective area).

[1153] Point 5: VOB_I:AV address management information and file entry:LBN management information are recorded in parallel. Specifically, afirst information management recording area having the managementinformation managed using the first address number and a secondmanagement information recording area having the management informationmanaged using the second address number are provided on the sameinformation storage medium.

[1154] Point 6: The recording/reproducing application performsmanagement using AV addresses and the OS side causes AV address→LBNconversion. Specifically, there are provided a section(recording/reproducing application) that manages information using thesecond management information and an address conversion section thatcauses conversion between the second address number and the firstaddress number.

[1155] Point 7: At least one file is recorded. The identificationinformation for an AV file is recorded in at least one of the recordedfiles.

[1156] Point 8: There is further provided identification means forjudging whether the file recorded on the information storage medium isan AV file. The method of recording the relevant file can be changed,depending on whether the recorded file is an AV file.

[1157] In point 1, all the recording areas on the information storagemedium are given the first address numbers, logical block numbers (LBN)and both the defective area 3452 and replacement area 3456 are assignedLBN, as γ indicated by in FIG. 35. This makes it possible to leavedefect management to the file system 2 side, not to therecording/reproducing application software 1, which enables therecording/reproducing application software 1 to concentrate on videoinformation management without being bothered with defect management.Differently from the linear replacement algorithm indicated by β in FIG.35, setting the replacement area 3456 in the first area, user area 723where the user can record information, enables the replacement area 3456to be placed near the defective area 3452 occurred in the user area 723,making it unnecessary for the optical head to access the defective area3452 in the replacement process, which assures continuous recording.

[1158] In point 2, by making it possible to set the replacement area3456 in any position in the first area or user area 723, the replacementarea 3456 can be placed just behind the defective area 3452. As aresult, the replacement process can be carried out without causing theoptical head to access the defective area at all, which assures morestable continuous recording.

[1159] In point 3, by allocating the first address, LBN managed by thefile system 2 as shown in FIG. 29, and the second address, AV addressmanaged by the recording/reproducing application software 1, to the samelocation on the information storage medium, the recording/reproducingapplication software 1 and file system 2 can perform informationmanagement independently, which enables the recording/reproducingapplication software 1 and file system 2 to concentrate on their roles.

[1160] In point 4, as compared with the linear replacement algorithmindicated by A in FIG. 35, the embodiment of the present inventionindicated by γ in FIG. 35 allocates LBN, the first address number, evento the defective area 3452, thereby allowing the file system 2 to managedefects on the information storage medium. As seen from b in FIG. 29 andfrom FIG. 50A, because an AV address, the second address number, is notallocated to the defective area, the recording/reproducing applicationsoftware 1 does not perform defect management at all and can concentrateon video information management.

[1161] In point 5, by allocating the management informationcorresponding to LBN managed by the file system 2 to the file entry ofFIG. 29 and recording the video object control information, managementinformation corresponding to AV addresses managed by therecording/reproducing application software 1, separately on theinformation storage medium, the recording/reproducing applicationsoftware 1 and file system 2 can carry out information managementindependently and therefore concentrate on their roles.

[1162] In point 6, the file system 2 side causes conversion between LBNindicated by a and b in FIG. 29 and AV addresses. This makes itunnecessary for the recording/reproducing application software 1 tocause address conversion, which enables the recording/reproducingapplication software 1 to concentrate video information management.

[1163] In point 7 and point 8, an AV flag that can be identified on thefile system is set in an AV file in advance. The file system 2 eitheridentifies the AV flag added to the AV file or judges whether the fileto be recorded into is an AV file, on the basis of the specification bythe recording/reproducing application 1 (or the file attribute audiovideo (FILE_ATTRIBUTE_AUDIO_VIDEO) flag for a created file). Then, thefile system 2 changes the recording method.

[1164] Carrying out the above process assures the continuity of the AVfile in recording reliably.

[1165] Furthermore, characteristics of the method of the presentinvention will be explained.

[1166] <Not only is a logical address set for a defective area, but alsoan extent is set avoiding the defective area.>

[1167] This enables the file system 2 side to recognize the defectivearea and set an extent, avoiding the defective area 3452. By setting theextent allocated avoiding the defective area in an file entry, the filesystem 2 side can carry out such a process of directly accessing theplace to be reproduced, according to the information recorded in thefile entry without referring to the defect management information (TDM3472).

[1168] <Skipping is done on a defective area in recording AV informationand an extent is set, avoiding the defective area, after the recordinghas been completed.>

[1169] When information is recorded, the skipping replacement algorithmis executed in subsequent recording, avoiding the defective area 3452 onthe information storage medium. After the recording has been completed,an extent can be set, avoiding the defective area, as shown in stepsST04 and ST4-04 explained in the operation flow.

[1170] The place in which video information is recorded and the place inwhich the file entry information has been recorded are separate fromeach other. When the extent layout information is recorded each time asmall amount of video information is recorded, the accessing of theoptical head is needed each time. In contrast, when the extent layout istemporarily stored in the semiconductor memory 219 and all the fileentry information is rewritten after the recording of the whole videoinformation has been completed, this reduces the frequency of accessingof the optical head.

[1171] <A contiguous data area is set in such a manner that it extendsover a defective area and another existing file recording area.>

[1172] When extent #1 3571, extent #2 3572, extent #3 3573 are set,avoiding the defective area 3566, the LBN address allocated to thedefective area 3566 after the setting is subjected to the linearreplacement process, which might permit a PC file to be put in thedefective area. There is a strong possibility that PC files will berecorded in the defective area in such a manner that they areinterspersed in the defective area. Once the condition for settingcontiguous data areas has been so determined that the addresses in thecontiguous data area should be always consecutive, if a PC file has beenalready put in the defective area, it is impossible to secure acontiguous data area, even when an attempt is made to delete extent #1,extent #2, and extent #3 and record AV information again.

[1173] In the present invention, however, even when a PC file subjectedto the linear replacement process has been put in the defective area, acontiguous data area can be set again after the extents have beendeleted, which enables the area on the information storage medium to beused effectively.

[1174] <As a general rule, although AV information is recorded on theinformation storage medium in units of contiguous data area #1 3505, #23506, or #3 3506, when the data size of pieces of video information3513, 3514 additionally recorded is smaller than the contiguous datasize, unused areas 3515, 3516 are defined (FIG. 43).>

[1175] Then, by setting the subsequent recording information so that itmay be recorded from the unused area, short-time pictures arevideo-recorded one after another as, for example, “one-shot recording”and later the information can be reproduced continuously.

[1176] <The write command and the defect processing method are changedaccording to the type of information.>

[1177] It is judged whether a file to be processed is a PC file or an AVfile. It is then decided whether WRITE command (linear replacement asthe defect processing method) or AV WRITE command (skipping replacementas the defect processing method). In the case of a PC file, extents areset, taking no account of contiguous data areas. In the case of an AVfile, AV information is recorded in units of a contiguous data area andan unused area is set for the fractions of the recording information inthe contiguous data area. This enables AV information to be recordedcontinuously and the recording area on the storage medium to be usedeffectively.

[1178] <The size of a contiguous data area is limited to a specific sizeor less.>

[1179] This enables AV information to be recorded continuously andstably.

[1180] <The unused size is managed on the file system.>

[1181] Let {total extent size (or file size)−information length}=unusedarea size: then, unused areas 3515, 3516 can be managed by a simplemethod without changing the UDF standard.

[1182] <An unused area is treated as an unused VOB and managed on therecording/reproducing application side.>

[1183] Management information about unused VOB 3552, 3553 is recorded inthe video object control information 11107. This enables therecording/reproducing application 1 side recognizing the contents of theAV information to manage the unused areas, assuring fine unused areamanagement.

[1184] <Recording is done form the start position of the unused area ina file in re-recording (additional recording).>

[1185] By defining unused areas 3515, 3516 and doing setting so that theinformation to be recorded next may be recorded from the start positionof the unused area, short-time moving pictures are recorded in sequenceas one-shot video-recording and later the information can be reproducedcontinuously.

[1186] <When part of the information is deleted, the information isdeleted in units of a contiguous data area (CDA). There are two methodsof leaving an unused area.>

[1187] One is setting an unused VOB in FIG. 46, and the other is settingan unused extent in FIG. 47. When part of an AV file is deleted, theremaining part is left as unused area, which enables another AVinformation to be recorded. At this time, because the information hasbeen deleted in units of CDA, a new CDA is easy to set in that place andcan be set.

[1188] <The recording places after presetting/continuousrecording/recording are registered.>

[1189] The process in step ST02 is the process of searching for theplace in which information is to be recorded on the information storagemedium. The process in step ST03 is the process of recording informationactually.

[1190] For example, when a television program is recorded, the recordingtime might not be estimate. To overcome this problem, in the system, therecording/reproducing application 1 side sets the estimated maximumamount of recording for continuous recording and informs the file system2 side of the amount using a Set Unrecorded Area command. Then,according to the size received, the file system 2 side sets thescheduled recording place on the information storage medium in advanceand, if recording is interrupted halfway, opens the scheduled recordingplace. This enables not only AV information to be recorded stably andcontinuously but also the data are to be used effectively.

[1191] <Extent information about the scheduled recording place can berecorded in the allocation descriptor in the file entry to an AV file.>

[1192] With the information recording and reproducing device connectedto IEEED 1394 or the like, while the first device is recording videoinformation on the information storage medium, PC information might haveto be recorded on the information storage medium according to aninstruction given by another device. In this case, as in step ST-06, thefile system 2 pre-records the extent information about the scheduledrecording place for AV information into the allocation descriptor in thefile entry to the relevant AV file, which prevents another PCinformation from being recorded in the scheduled recording place forvideo information.

[1193] <File partial delete command for API command>

[1194] A first recording process layer composed of a recording andreproducing device that records information on an information storagemedium means the recording/reproducing application 1. A second recordingprocess layer controlling the first recording process layer composed ofa file system part controlling the place where information is to berecorded means the file system 2. A third recording process layerexisting as an application layer that gives a command to the secondrecording process layer to control the latter means the informationrecording and reproducing device 3.

[1195] The command to delete only part of a file the third recordingprocess layer gives to the second recording process layer is “DeletePart Of File Command.”

[1196] AV information and audio information have a large file size.Thus, use of a method of dealing with the whole file to delete part ofthe file and re-recording the whole file only part of which has beendeleted on the information storage medium requires a tremendous lengthof recording time. In contrast, use of a partial delete command enablesthe desired part to be deleted in a short time.

[1197] <Command (SEND PRESET EXTENT ALLOCATION MAP COMMAND)>

[1198] Before the first recording process layer records information, thesecond recording process layer not only sets in advance the place whereinformation is to be recorded, but also gives the first recordingprocess layer the command “SEND PRESET EXTENT ALLOCATION MAP COMMAND” toinform the first recording process layer of the set information.

[1199] When a defective area is encountered in the course of recordinginformation, the skipping replacement algorithm is executed. Althoughoverflow information is created here, if the information recording andreproducing side has been informed of the extent allocation table as thescheduled recording places beforehand, the overflow information can berecorded continuously in the next scheduled recording place, whichprevents continuous recording from being interrupted.

[1200] <Command (GET WRITE STATUS COMMAND)>

[1201] A command to instruct the first recording process layer to reportits recording state to the second recording process layer is the command(GET WRITE STATUS COMMAND). When many defective areas take place on theinformation storage medium, the information temporarily stored in thebuffer memory 219 in the information recording and reproducing devicegets saturated, which prevents video information from being recordedcontinuously. Then, the command (GET WRITE STATUS COMMAND) is issued tomonitor the status of the buffer memory 219. The file system 2 side thenperforms control so that the memory 219 may not get saturated.

[1202] <Defect management information about PC information and thatabout AV information are separated.>

[1203] This facilitates defect management. Recording the respectivetypes of information separately facilities the management and setting ofcontiguous data areas. The most suitable defect management can beperformed on each of PC information and AV information.

[1204] <Defect management information>

[1205] The replacement methods include a first replacement (slipping)method, a second replacement (linear replacement) method, and a thirdreplacement (skipping) method. Defect management information related tothe first replacement method is represented by PDL 3412, defectmanagement information related to the second replacement method isrepresented by SDL 3413 or SDL 3471, and defect management informationrelated to the third replacement method is represented by TDL 3414 orSDL 3472.

[1206] That the defect management information related to the thirdreplacement method is written as physical address information means thatit is recorded as defect management information TDL 3414 and that theinformation recording and reproducing device performs defect management.This enables the file system to concentrate on the management of therecording places on the LBN space without being bothered withtroublesome defect management.

[1207] That the defect management information related to the thirdreplacement method is written as physical address information means thatit is recorded as defect management information TDL 3472 and that thefile system 2 side performs defect management. The defect management bythe file system 2 side enables fine defect management, which facilitatesthe management and setting of contiguous data areas 3593.

[1208] As described above, according to the present invention, there areprovided not only a recording method which enables stable continuousrecording without being affected by the existence of many defectiveareas on an information storage medium but also an information recordingand reproducing device which uses the recording method. There is furtherprovided an information storage medium (as well as the data structure ofthe information recorded on the medium) on which information has beenrecorded in the most suitable form for the stable continuous recording.

[1209] Furthermore, there is provided an environment setting method(specifically, a video information recording/reproducing/editing system)which assures stable video information management without imposing aburden on the recording/reproducing application software layer (orwithout causing the recording/reproducing application software layer toperform defect management), even when many defective areas are presenton the information storage medium.

[1210] While in the above explanation, the optical head has recorded andreproduced the information onto and from the optical disk, the presentinvention is not limited to this. For instance, the present inventionmay be applied to a case where a magnetic head accesses the informationon a magnetic disk or a hard disk.

[1211] The present invention is applicable to an information storagemedium, such as an optical disk, its data structure, an informationrecording method, an information recording device, and a playbackdevice. TABLE 1 LIST OF FUNCTIONS (EFFECTS OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENTINVENTION) NECESSARY IN RECORDING AND REPRODUCING VIDEO INFORMATION(LIST OF EFFECTS PRODUCED BY VIDEO INFORMATION RECORDING AND REPRODUCINGDEVICE OF THE PRESENT INVENTION) EFFECT REQUEST SIDE AND OF EFFECTFUNCTION AND FUNCTION DESCRIPTION OF REQUESTED FUNCTIONS (EFFECTS) ANDSUPPLEMENTARY EXPLANATION ESSENTIAL APPLICATION BOTH AV FILES AND PCFILES ARE ALLOWED TO EXIST ON INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM. FUNCTIONSSIDE'S . . . AV FILES AND PC FILES ARE DISTINGUISHED AND HANDLED ON FILESYSTEM. (EFFECTS) REQUEST TO AV FILE SIZE IS ALLOWED TO EXPAND. VIDEO .. . AV FILE EXTENTS ARE ADDITIONALLY SECURED IN EMPTY AREA ONINFORMATION INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM. AV FILE SIZE IS ALLOWED TO BEDECREASED. . . . PART OF AV FILE IS ALLOWED TO BE DELETED. CONTINUITY OFRECORDING IS SECURED (REAL-TIME RECORDING) . . . RECORDING IN CONTIGUOUSDATA AREA UNITS, SLIPPING PROCESS IN DEFECTIVE SPOT CONTINUOUS PLAYBACKIS SECURED (E.G., CONTINUOUS PLAYBACK OF ADDITIONAL PICTURES AFTERSEQUENTIAL ADDITION OF SHORT-TIME RECORDING PICTURES) . . . SHORT-TIMEONE-SHOT RECORDING IS ALSO DONE IN CONTIGUOUS DATA AREAS AND NEXTSHORT-TIME RECORDING PICTURES ARE ADDITIONALLY RECORDED IN UNUSED AREAIN CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA. . . . CONTINUOUS PLAYBACK ACCORDING TO ORIGINALPGC (DIRECTLY AFTER RECORDING) IS GUARANTEED. PROCESS OF DELETING PARTOF SPECIFIC RANGE (IN CONTIGUOUS DATA AREAS) IN AV FILE RELIABILITY OFVIDEO DATA IN VIDEO-RECORDING (RECORDING)/PLAYBACK IS SECURED. . . .DEFECTIVE PLACE ON INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM IS REPLACED INVIDEO-RECORDING (RECORDING.) REQUESTED ARRANGEMENT OF VOB IS ALLOWED TOBE CHANGED ON ORIGINAL PGC FUNCTIONS VIDEO DATA UP TO THE MIDDLE ISALIVE EVEN IF POWER SUPPLY IS TURNED OFF IN THE (EFFECTS) COURSE OFVIDEO RECORDING WHEN VIDEO DATA IS RECORDED OR REPRODUCED, ONLY REALDATA IS INPUTTED OR OUTPUTTED. . . . WHEN VIDEO DATA IS RECORDED ORREPRODUCED, “RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPLICATION” SIDE IS UNWILLING TOPERFORM THE ADDING/DELETING OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OR THE SECURING OFRESERVE SPARE AREA AS A RESULT OF REPLACEMENT. . . . IT IS HOPED THATMANAGEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION EXCEPT FOR REAL DATA IS ELIMINATEDAND ADDRESS MANAGEMENT OF REAL DATA IN AV FILE IS SIMPLIFIED(CORRESPONDENCE TO LBN IS SIMPLIFIED). “RECORDING/REPRODUCINGAPPLICATION” SIDE DOES NOT MANAGE DEFECTS ON INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM“RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPLICATION” SIDE DOES NOT MANAGE CONTIGUOUS DATAAREAS “RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPLICATION” SIDE HAS AS LITTLE ADDRESSMANAGEMENT INOFRMATION AS POSSIBLE

[1212] TABLE 2 EFFECT REQUEST SIDE AND OF EFFECT FUNCTION AND FUNCTIONDESCRIPTION OF REQUESTED FUNCTIONS (EFFECTS) AND SUPPLEMENTARYEXPLANATION REQUESTED FILE SYSTEM ANOTHER PIECE OF VIDEO INFORMATION CANBE RECORDED/USED AGAIN IN PARTLY DELETED FUNCTIONS (OS) SIDES'S PLACE INAV FILE. (EFFECTS) REQUEST . . . ON USER I/F, THIS MEANS THAT ANOTHERPICTURE IS ALLOWED TO BE WRITTEN OVER THE RECORDED PLACE IN AV FILE WHENTHE REMAINDER IS SMALL. . . . IT IS NECESSARY TO SECURE CONTIGUOUS DATAAREA SIZE IN RE-RECORDING ANOTHER PICTURE. RECORDABLE AREA (REMAINDER)AFTER THE REPETITION OF RECORDING/PARTIAL DELETING IS SECURED. . . .GARBAGE COLLECTION/DEFRAGMENTATION IS TO BE EXECUTED. API COMMANDBETWEEN APPLICATION SOFTWARE IS UNWILLING TO BE CHANGED. . . . IT ISHOPED THAT MEASURES ARE TAKEN BY CHANGING ONLY LOW LEVELS OF HIERARCHYOF OS/FS WITHOUT CHANGING HIGH LEVELS OF HIERARCHY. PROCESS ADAPTED ASMUCH TO EXISTING COMMAND IDEAS AS POSSIBLE IS CARRIED OUT. . . .SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT IS FACILITATED WITHOUT GIVING SOFTWARE DEVELOPER ASENSE OF INCONGRUITY. TRANSPLANTATION AND INTERCHANGEABLITY OFRECORDING/REPRODUCING DVD DATA TO ANOTHER MEDIUM (E.G., HDD) AREIMPROVED COMPATIBILITY WITH DVD-ROM VIDEO IS IMPROVED EXISTING 2.6-GBDVD-RAM STANDARD PART 2 IS NOT CHANGED NO ITEM IS ADDED TO EXISTINGMANAGEMENT INFORMATION MANAGED BY UDF SIDE. . . . REPLACEMENT TABLE FORDEFECTIVE SPOTS, RESERVE SPARE AREA ADDRESS TABLE, AND OTHERS CHANGES INUDF CONTROL SOFTWARE COMPATIBLE WITH EXISTING DVD-RAM ARE FEW. . . .DEFECT MANAGEMENT OF INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM IS NOT PERFORMED ON UDFCONTROL SOFTWARE. ODD SIDES'S CONTINUOUS RECORDING IS NOT INTERRUPTED ASA RESULT OF COMMAND PROCESSING AT REQUEST THE OCCURRENCE OF DEFECTNEITHER INTERRUPTION OF CONTINUOUS RECORDING NOR LOSS OF VIDEO DATATAKES PLACE WHEN MANY CONSECUTIVE DEFECTS HAVE OCCURRED INFORMATIONABOUT DEFECT DISTRIBUTION OVER INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM IS PREVENTEDFROM GOING OUT OF ODD CORRELATION BETWEEN PSN AND LBN IS CLEAR EVENAFTER REWRITING IS DONE REPEATEDLY AS LARGE A RECORDABLE AREA (RECORDINGCAPACITY) ON INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM IS SECURED AS POSSIBLE [LARGERSTORAGE CAPACITY]. . . . INITIAL SPARE AREA SIZE IS MADE SMALLER. . . .WASTE OF RECORDING AREA (UNUSED AREA BECAUSE OF SPARE AREA) ISELIMINATED. THE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION IN DMA (DEFECT MANAGEMENTINFORMATION) IS DECREASED DEFECT MANAGEMENT (E.G., REPLACEMENT) CONTROLOF ODD IS SIMPLIFIED

[1213] TABLE 3 THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PROGRAM SOFTWAREHIERARCHICAL STRUCTURE AND THE ADDRESS SPACE USED AT EACH LEVEL OFHIERARCHY ON PC WHEN VIDEO INFORMATION IS RECORDED AND REPRODUCED ON PCUSING RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPLICATION SOFTWARE ADDRESS NUMBER CONTROLLAYER INTERFACE NAME DESCRIPTION OF ADDRESS SPACE VIDEO PLAYBACK SDK APIRELATIVE ADDRESS CONTINUOUS ADDRESS NUMBERS IN APPLICATION SOFTWARECOMMAND 4 IN AV FILE AV FILE, WITH BEGIN POSITION (RECORDING/REPRODUCINGDDK (AV ADDRESS) OF AV FILE BEING ADDRESS “0” APPLICATION) 1 INTERFACELSN BOTH ARE ASSIGNED LOGICAL FS: FILE SYSTEM COMMAND 5 LBN CONSECUTIVENUMBERS IN UNITS (E.G., UDF) 2 PSN: Physical OF 2 KB ODD: OPTICAL DISKSector Number EACH SECTOR ON INFORMATION DRIVER 3 (INFORMATION STORAGEMEDIUM (OPTICAL DISK) RECORDING AND HAS BEEN ASSIGNED PHYSICALREPRODUCING DEVICE) NUMBER BEFOREHAND

[1214] TABLE 4 DEFECT MANAGEMENT ON INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM ANDUNUSED AREAS IN AV FILE TABLE SHOWING COMPARISON BETWEEN EMBODIMENTS OFTHE PRESENT INVENTION ABOUT MANAGEMENT RESERVE SPARE AREA IS NOT RESERVESPARE AREA IS MANAGEMENT PLACE AND SECURED BEFOREHAND IN SECURED INCREATING MANAGEMENT METHOD OF CREATING CONTIGUOUS DATA CONTIGUOUS DATAAREA UNUSED AREAS IN AV AREA. (PS: PRE-SPARE) FILE LBN ARE NOT SET FORXX XX-PS RECORDING/REPRODUCING DEFECTIVE PLACES AND PSN FOR LBN ISSHIFTED PSN SHIFT OF DEFECT + APPLICATION 1 SIDE SPARE AREAS.INFORMATION EACH TIME DEFECT OCCURS. RESERVE SPARE IS EFFECTED MANAGESUNUSED AREA ABOUT DEFECTS IS IN DMA. REAL DATA SIZE = EXTENT ON LBN INUNITS OF CDA. INFORMATION IN AV SIZE FILE AS “UNUSED VOB.” LBN AREDEFECT LBN/ODD LBN/ODD-PS DEFECTIVE THE UNUNSED VOB SET FOR INFORMATIONIS DEFECTIVE PLACE IS PLACES AND RESERVE SPARE INFORMATION IS DEFEC-RECORDED IN INCLUDED IN EXTENT. AREAS ARE INCLUDED IN EX- RECORDED INVIDEO TIVE DMA AND IN PLAYBACK, TENT. ODD3 MANAGES THE OBJECT CONTROLPLACES. MANAGEMENT RECORDING/REPRODUCING POSITION AND SIZE OFINFORMATION 1107 IN FILE SYSTEM 2 APPLICATION REQUESTS RESERVE SPAREAREAS. FILE CONTROL INFORMATION SIDE HAS REPLY ONLY ABOUT REAL SYSTEMSIDE HAS NOTHING TO 1011. NOTHING TO DO DATA FROM ODD3. DO WITH THEMANAGEMENT. WITH DEFECTIVE (UDF SIDE ACTS AS THE REMAINING PROCESSESINFORMATION IN INTERMEDIARY) ARE THE SAME AS THOSE OF CONNECTIONRECORDING/REPRODUCING LBN/ODD. WITH ODD3. APPLICATION 1 SIDE MANAGES CDABOUNDARY POSITION. FS2 SIDE ALSO LBN/UDF LBN/UDF-PS THE SIZE OF DEALSWITH DEFECTIVE PLACES ARE INCLUDED DEFECTIVE PLACES AND RECORDED AREAFROM PROCESSES IN EXTENT. RESERVE SPARE AREAS ARE BEGIN POSITION OFRELATED TO CDA SIZE IS MADE VARIABLE. INCLUDED IN EXTENT. AV FILE ISDEFECT THERE IS NO CDA BOUNDARY FS2 SIDE MANAGES THE RECORDED ININFORMATION. POSITION MANAGEMENT. POSITION AND SIZE OF INFORMATIONLENGTH DEFECT ONLY REAL DATA IS TRANSFERRED RESERVE SPARE AREAS. IN FILEENTRY MANAGEMENT TO RECORDING/REPRODUCING THE REMAINING PROCESSESINFORMATION. FILE INFORMATION APPLICATION 1 SIDE IN ARE THE SAME ASTHOSE STEM 2 SIDE IS RECORDED PLAYBACK. OF LBN/UDF. (UDF) MANAGES INDEFECT LBN/UDF-CDAFix UNUSED AREAS IN AV MANAGEMENT CDA SIZE ANDBOUNDARY POSI- FILE. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TION ARE FIXED IN ADVANCE.RECORDING RECORDING THE REMAINING PROCESSES ARE INFORMATION IS POSITIONON THE SAME AS THOSE OF LBN/UDF. RECORDED FROM THE FS2 SIDE. LBN/XXXLBN/XXX-PS BEGIN POSITION OF EXTENT IS INFORMATION ABOUT DEFECTIVEDEFECTIVE AREAS ARE UNUSED AREA IN AV SET, AVOIDING PLACES ARE KNOWN.ODD3 IN REMOVED FROM EXTENT. FILE. DEFECTIVE RECORDING AND REMOVED FROMFS MANAGES RESERVE AREA - EXTENT. SPARE AREAS IN EXTENT. DEFECT THEREMAINING PROCESSES ARE INFORMATION THE SAME AS THOSE OF LBN/UDF. INDMA.

[1215] TABLE 5 TABLE LISTING THE EFFECTS OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENTINVENTION DEGREE OF IMPORTANCE PLACE OF FUNC- REQUESTING DESCRIPTION OFREQUESTED LBN/ LBN/ LBN/ TIONS FUNCTIONS VARIOUS REQUESTED FUNCTIONSLBN/ ODD- LBN/ UDF- LBN/ xxx- (EFFECTS) AND EFFECTS FUNCTIONS (EFFECTS)AND EFFECTS xx xx-PS ODD PS UDP PS xxx PS ESSENTIAL RECORDING/ AV FILEAND PC FILE ARE ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ EFFECTS REPRODUCING ALLOWED TO BEPRESENT APPLICATION AT THE SAME PLACE SIDE'S AV FILE SIZE CAN BE ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ REQUEST INCREASED AV FILE SIZE CAN BE ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆DECREASED CONTINUITY IN ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ RECORDING IS SECUREDCONTINUOUS PLAYBACK ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ (AFTER ADDITION OF SHORT-TIMERECORDED PICTURES) PROCESS OF DELETING ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ PART OF AV FILERELIABILITY OF DATA IN ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ RECORDING/REPRODUCING RE-CHANGE OF VOB ⊚ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ QUESTED ARRANGEMENT IN FUNC- ORIGINALPGC (EFFECTS) VIDEO-RECORDING DATA ◯ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ IS ALIVE WHEN POWERSUPPLY IS TURNED OFF I/O PROCESS OF ONLY ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ REAL DATARECORDING/REPRODUCING Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ APPLICATION DOES NOT MANAGEDEFECTS RECORDING/REPRODUCING Δ ∇ ∇ ∇ ∇ Δ Δ ∇ ∇ APPLICATION SIDE DOESNOT PERFORM C.D.A MANAGEMENT AS LITTLE ADDRESS Δ ∇ ∇ ∇ ∇ Δ Δ ∇ ∇MANAGEMENT INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE RE- FS SIDE'S PARTLY DELETED PART ⊚ ΔΔ Δ Δ Δ Δ ∇ ∇ QUESTED REQUEST CAN BE RE-RECORDED FUNC- OR REUSED TIONSREMAINDER IS SECURED ⊚ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ ∇ ∇ (EFFECTS) AFTER REPETITION OFRECORDING OR DELETING API COMMAND IS ◯ Δ ∇ Δ ∇ Δ Δ Δ Δ UNWILLING TO BECHANGED PROCESS ADAPTED TO ◯ Δ Δ ∇ ∇ Δ ∇ Δ ∇ EXISTING COMMAND IDEASTRANSPLANTATION Δ Δ ∇ Δ ∇ ∇ ∇ Δ Δ (INTERCHANGEABLITY) OF DATA TO ANOTHERMEDIUM COMPATIBILITY WITH Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ ∇ Δ ∇ DVD-ROM VIDEO DVD-RAMSTANDARD Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ ∇ ∇ Δ Δ PART 2 IS NOT CHANGED NO ITEM IS ADDED TO Δ ΔΔ Δ Δ ∇ ∇ Δ Δ MANAGEMENT INFORMATION ON UDF MINOR CHANGE IN Δ Δ Δ Δ Δ ∇∇ ∇ ∇ DVD-RAM UDF SOFTWARE ODD SIDE'S CONTINUOUS RECORDING ⊚ X ⊚ X ⊚ X ⊚X ⊚ REQUEST IS NOT INTERRUPTED BY COMMAND PROCESS MEASURES CAN BE TAKEN⊚ X ▾ X ▾ X ▾ X ▾ WHEN MANY CONSECUTIVE DEFECTS HAVE OCCURREDINFORMATION ABOUT ⊚ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ ▾ ▾ ▾ ▾ DEFECT DISTRIBUTION OVER INFORMATIONIS PREVENTED FROM GOING OUT OF ODD CORRELATION BETWEEN ⊚ X X ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯ ◯PSN AND LBN IS CLEAR WASTE OF RECORDING ◯ ◯ ▾ ◯ ▾ ◯ ▾ ◯ ▾ AREA ISELIMINATED THE AMOUNT OF Δ ∇ ∇ ∇ ∇ Δ Δ ∇ ∇ INFORMATION IN DMA ISDECREASED DEFECT MANAGEMENT Δ ▾ ▾ ∇ ∇ Δ Δ ∇ ∇ CONTROL OF ODD ISSIMPLIFIED

[1216] TABLE 6 DATA STRUCTURE OF ALLOCATION MAP TABLE WHENRECORDING/REPRODUCING APPLICATION MANAGES THE BOUNDARY POSITION OFCONTIGUOUS DATA AREA IN THE EMBODIMENTS LBN/ODD, LBN/ODD-PS, XX, ANDXX-PS [CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA BOUNDARY INFORMATION IN AV ADDRESS] EXAMPLEOF VALUE IN INFORMATION ABOUT USING THE EMBODI- ALLOCATION MAP TABLEMENT OF FIG. 36 NUMBER OF CONTIGUOUS DATA 3 AREAS IN AV FILE (NOTE:EXTENT #δ, EXTENT #γ, EXTENT #α) THE LAST AV ADDRESS IN THE f − e − 1FIRST CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA THE LAST AV ADDRESS IN THE f − e + d − c − 1SECOND CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA THE LAST AV ADDRESS IN THE f − e + d − c + b− a − 1 THIRD CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA

[1217] TABLE 7 TABLE HELP TO EXPLAIN OTHER EMBODIMENTS RELATED TO AMETHOD OF RECORDING DEFECT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION MANAGED BY FILE SYSTEM2 SIDE METHOD RELATION ADVANTAGE NO. DESCRIPTION WITH EXTENT AND EFFECT{circle over (1)} HIDDEN FILE IS CHANGE OF CREATED AND UDF DRIVE DEFECTMAP WILL DO INFORMATION NUMBER OF IS WRITTEN CHANGED IN IT PLACES ISSMALL {circle over (2)} LONG DEFECTIVE MINOR ALLOCATION AREA IS CHANGEOF DESCRIPTOR MADE UDF STAND- IS USED IN ANOTHER ARD WILL AV FILE EXTENTDO NUMBER AND DEFECT OF CHANGED FLAG IS SET PLACES IS IN IMPLE- SMALLMENTATION

[1218] TABLE 8 TABLE LISTING METHODS OF SETTING UNUSED AREAS IN EXTENTSEXCEPT FOR THOSE IN FIGS. 43 AND 47 METHOD ADVANTAGE NO. DESCRIPTION ANDEFFECT {circle over (3)} LBN FOR UNUSED AREA MINOR CHANGE OF UDF STARTIS WRITTEN STANDARD WILL DO IN PADDING AREA IN FILE IDENTIFI- CATIONDESCRIPTOR {circle over (4)} RESERVED SIZE OF MINOR CHANGE OF UDF FILEENTRY/ICB STANDARD WILL DO TAG IS INCREASED TO 4 BYTES AND UNUSED AREASTART LBN IS WRITTEN {circle over (5)} HIDDEN FILE IS ONLY CHANGE OF UDFCREATED AND UNUSED DRIVE WILL DO AREA START LBN IS WRITTEN IN THE FILE{circle over (6)} LONG ALLOCATION MINOR CHANGE OF UDF DESCRIPTOR IS USEDSTANDARD WILL DO ONLY IN AV FILE AND UNUSED AREA START LBN IS WRITTEN INIMPLEMENTATION USE OF THE RELE- VANT EXTENT

[1219] TABLE 9 TABLE LISTING VARIOUS API COMMANDS USED IN RECORDINGVIDEO INFORMATION IN LBN/UDF AND LBN/XX COMMAND NAME COMMAND OVERVIEWCOMMAND PARAMETER RETURN VALUE COMMAND TYPE 3401 3402 3403 3404 3405Create File FILE OPEN PROCESS AV FILE ATTRIBUTE EXISTING RETURN NEWMATTER FILE RECORDING FLAG IS ADDED TO VALUE IS USED AS IS ADDED TOSTART DECLARATION EXISTING PARAMETER IT IS EXISTING FILE PLAYBACK STARTCOMMAND DECLARATION Set Unrecorded SPECIFY UNUSED AREA SETTING START LBNINFORMATION NEW COMMAND Area SIZE IN AV FILE VALUE RECEPTION COMPLETEUNUSED AREA SIZE OR RECEPTION FAILURE Write File FILE RECORDING EXISTINGPARAMETER EXISTING RETURN EXISTING PROCESS VALUE COMMAND Read File FILEREPRODUCING EXISTING PARAMETER EXISTING RETURN EXISTING PROCESS VALUECOMMAND Delete Part Of DELETE PART OF FILE DELETE START POINTER PROCESSSUCCESSFUL NEW COMMAND File DELETED DATA SIZE OR UNSUCCESSFUL CloseHandle END RECORDING/ EXISTING PARAMETER EXISTING RETURN EXISTINGREPRODUCING PROCESS VALUE COMMAND Get AV Free CHECK UNRECORDED CDASETTING TOTAL UNRECORDED NEW COMMAND Space Size AREA SIZE CONDITION SIZEChange Order REARRANGE THE ORDER START POINTER BEFORE PROCESS SUCCESSFULNEW COMMAND IN FILE CHANGE OR UNSUCCESSFUL CHANGED PLACE SIZE STARTPOINTER AFTER CHANGE AV Defrag- EXPAND CDA AREA CDA SETTING PROCESSSUCCESSFUL NEW COMMAND mentation THAT CAN BE SET CONDITION ORUNSUCCESSFUL

[1220] TABLE 10 TABLE LISTING COMMANDS USED WITH INFORMATION RECORDINGAND REPRODUCING DEVICE CORRESPONDING TO LBN/UDF, LBN/XXX COMMAND COMMANDOVERVIEW COMMAND PARAMETER RETURN VALUE (STATUS) NAME 3341 3342 22433344 AV WRITE VIDEO INFORMATION RECORDING START POSITION (LBNINFORMATION AS TO WHETHER RECORDING PROCESS SPECIFICATION OR PRESENTPOSITION) COMMAND HAS BEEN RECEIVED COMMAND RELATED TO AV DATA SIZE (NO.OF SECTORS) FILES END POSITION OF RELEVANT EXTENT START POSITION OF NEXTEXTENT END POSITION OF NEXT EXTENT SLOT_ID (SLOT ID) AV WRITE NUMBER GETWRITE REQUEST THE AMOUNT OF START LBN VALUE OF SPECIFIED RANGE AMOUNT OFROOM IN BUFFER STATUS ROOM IN BUFFER MEMORY MEMORY 219 (NO. OF BYTES)219 IN INFORMATION NUMBER OF DEFECTIVE ECC RECORDING AND BLOCKSREPRODUCING DEVICE AT SIZE OF SPECIFIED RANGE FIRST ECC BLOCK LBNPRESENT AND LBN VALUE (NO. OF SECTORS) SECOND ECC BLOCK AT EACHDEFECTIVE ECC BLOCK BEGIN POSITION IN SPECIFIED RANGE BY LBN DISCARDDISCARD PRECEDING COMMAND NUMBER OF PRECEDING COMMANDS INFORMATION AS TOPRECEDING RECORDED ON INFORMATION FIRST DELETED COMMAND NO. WHETHERCOMMAND HAS COMMAND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING BEEN RECEIVED DEVICE SIDEADJUST THE AMOUNT OF SECOND DELETED COMMAND NO. TRANSFERRED DATAACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF DEFECTS ON INFORMATION STORAGE READ PLAYBACKPROCESS COMMAND PLAYBACK START POSITION (LBN) DATA SIZE (NO. OF FOR AVFILES AND PC FILES DATA SIZE (NO. OF SECTORS) SECTORS) REPRODUCED DATAGET REQUEST ZONE BOUNDARY START LBN VALUE OF SPECIFIED RANGE ZONEBOUNDARY POSITION PERFORMANCE POSITION INFORMATION ON SIZE OF SPECIFIEDRANGE IN SPECIFIED RANGE AND INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM (NO. OF SECTORS)DMA INFORMATION (VALUE AND DMA INFORMATION (LBN AFTER LBN CONVERSION)CONVERSION) SEND PRESENT REPORT LOCATION NUMBER OF SET EXTENTSINFORMATION AS TO EXTENT INFORMATION ABOUT VIDEO FIRST EXTENT BEGINPOSITION WHETHER COMMAND HAS ALLOCATION INFORMATION RECORDING FIRSTEXTENT SIZE BEEN RECEIVED MAP EXTENT SET BEFOREHAND ON SECOND EXTENTBEGIN POSITION THE BASIS OF ZONE BOUNDARY POSITION INFORMATION AND DMAINFORMATION RECEIVED FROM INFORMATION RECORDING AND REPRODUCING DEVICEBEFORE RECORDING OF VIDEO INFORMATION GET FREE A SERIES OF AV WRITESTART AV WRITE START FLAG SLOT_ID TO ISSUE ODD3 SLOT_ID DECLARATION(INSTRUCT ODD3 AV WRITE END FLAG INFORMATION AS TO TO ISSUE SLOT_ID) ANDEND WHETHER COMMAND HAS DECLARATION (CANCEL BEEN RECEIVED SLOT_ID)

[1221] TABLE 11 TABLE LISTING PARAMETERS AND RETURN VALUES FOR WRITE AVFILE COMMAND ON API IN LBN/ODD-PS WRITE AV FILE COMMAND (API) TYPEPARAMETER NAME 71 DESCRIPTION OF PARAMETERS 72 COMMON PARAMETER 76 hFile NAME OF FILE TO BE RECORDED (SPECIFY FILE HANDLE) Ip Buffer SPECIFYPOINTER TO BUFFER WHICH STORES DATA TO BE WRITTEN INTO FILE n ContiguousData Area SPECIFY CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA NUMBER IN FILE . . . PARALLELRECORDING INTO MULTIPLE C.D.A. CAN BE DONE IN TIME-DIVISION. a) WHEN THENUMBER IS ALREADY PRESENT IN FILE, THIS MEANS “PARTIAL OVERWRITING INTHE SAME CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA.” b) WHEN THE NUMBER IS NOT PRESENT INFILE, THIS MEANS “CREATING NEW CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA AND RECORDING NEWDATA.” Ip Contiguous Data Area SPECIFY POINTER TO VARIABLE THAT RECEIVESTHE CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA NUMBER n Max Number Of Bytes For- INDICATE THEMAXIMUM RECORDING DATA SIZE IN CONTIGUOUS Contiguous Data Area DATA AREATO BE RECORDED. a) WHEN TARGET C.D.A IS EXISTING PLACE, THIS MEANS THEDATA SIZE OF ITS C.D.A. b) WHEN TARGET C.D.A IS NEWLY CREATED CONTIGUOUSDATA AREA, VIDEO DATA EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN THE MAXIMUM VALUE ISRECORDED. . . . FILE SYSTEM SIDE USES THE PARAMETER IN SETTINGALLOCATION. Ip Max Number-C.D.A SPECIFY POINTER TO VARIABLE THATRECEIVES THE MAXIMUM RECORDING DATA SIZE n Number Of Bytes To WriteVIDEO DATA SIZE TO BE WRITTEN INTO CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA IN FILE IpNumber Of Bytes Written SPECIFY POINTER THAT RECEIVES THE VIDEO DATASIZE n Number Of Bytes Reserve UNUSED AREA SIZE ON RECORDING/REPRODUCINGAPPLICATION SIDE THAT WRITES DATA IN CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA. . . . WHENVIDEO DATA HAS RUN OUT, IT IS ADDED TO THE END OF CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA.L.B.N IS ALLOCATED FORMALLY. AT POSITIONS OTHER THAN THE END POSITION OFCONTIGUOUS DATA AREA, THE VALUE TAKES “0.” Ip Number Of Bytes ReservedSPECIFY POINTER TO VARIABLE THAT RECEIVES THE UNUSED AREA SIZE Ip OverLapped SPECIFY RECORDING START POSITION POINTER IN THE RELEVANTCONTIGUOUS DATA AREA. . . . RELATIVE ADDRESS FROM THE RELEVANTCONTIGUOUS DATA AREA BEGIN POSITION. End Flag Of Contiguous D.A RELEVANTWRITE COMMAND SHOWS LAST RECORDING IN CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA. a) FLAG = 1:INDICATES THE LAST RECORDING IN CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA. THE ACCUMULATEDVALUE OF ALL THE PRECEDING DATA BECOMES THE ACTUAL DADA SIZE INCONTIGUOUS DATA AREA AND IS REGISTERED ON FILE SYSTEM SIDE. b) FLAG = 0:INDICATES THAT IT IS FOLLOWED BY RECORDING DATA IN THE SAME CONTIGUOUSDATA AREA. RETURN VALUE 77 n Number Of Bytes Written SIZE OF REAL DATAACTUALLY RECORDED ON INFORMATION STORAGE MEDIUM a) REAL DATA SIZECOINCIDES WITH VIDEO DATA + UNUSED SIZE → RECORDING IS COMPLETE WITHOUTPROBLEM b) REAL DATA SIZE IS SMALLER THAN VIDEO DATA + UNUSED SIZE, THISMEANS OVERFLOW OF DEFICIENCY HAS BEEN CAUSED BY DEFECTS ON INFORMATIONSTORAGE MEDIUM. . . . THE DEFICIENCY WILL START TO BE RECORDED WHENWRITE COMMAND IS EXECUTED NEXT TIME.

[1222] TABLE 12 TABLE LISTING PARAMETERS AND RETURN VALUES FOR READ AVFILE COMMAND ON API IN LBN/ODD-PS READ AV FILE COMMAND (API) PARAMETERTYPE NAME 71 DESCRIPTION OF PARAMETERS 72 COMMAND h File NAME OF FILE TOBE RECORDED PARA- (SPECIFY FILE HANDLE) METER Ip Buffer SPECIFY POINTERTO BUFFER 76 THAT STORES DATA TO BE READ FROM FILE n Contiguous INDICATECONTIGUOUS DATA Data Area AREA NUMBER IN FILE Ipm SPECIFY POINTER TOVARIABLE Contiguous THAT RECEIVES THE CONTIGUOUS Data Area DATA AREANUMBER dw Number Of SIZE OF REAL DATA REPRODUCED Bytes to Read FROMCONTIGUOUS DATA AREA IN FILE  . . . DATA IS REPRODUCED IN SUCH A MANNERTHAT DEFECTIVE PLACES IN EXTENT AND DATA IN RESERVE SPARE AREA AREREMOVED FROM THE OBJECTS TO BE REPRODUCED AND SKIPPED. Idpw NumberSPECIFY POINTER TO VARIABLE of Bytes THAT RECEIVES THE VIDEO DATA ToRead SIZE Ip Over SPECIFY PLAYBACK START Lapped POSITION POINTER TO“REAL DATA” IN THE RELEVANT CONTIGUOUS DATA AREA [DEFECTIVE PLACES ARENOT COUNTED].  . . . RELATIVE ADDRESS FROM THE RELEVANT CONTIGUOUS DATAAREA BEGIN POSITION RETURN BOOL a) RETURN TRUE WHEN PLAYBACK ISSUCCESSFUL. VALUE b) RETURN FALSE WHEN PLAYBACK IS UNSUCCESSFUL.

[1223] TABLE 13 TABLE LISTING PARAMETERS AND RETURN VALUES FOR AV WRITECOMMAND TO ODD IN LBN/ODD-PS PARAMETER DESCRIPTION OF PARAMETERS TYPENAME 81 82 PARAMETER Initial LBN LOGICAL BLOCK NUMBER OF THE BEGINPOSITION OF AV EXTENT TO BE RECORDED Start SPECIFY RECORDING STARTAddress POSITION IN RELATIVE ADDRESS FROM AV EXTENT BEGIN POSITION DataLength SIZE OF REAL DATA TO BE RECORDED Space Keep SIZE OF DATA AREASECURED Length  . . . IT CORRESPONDS TO “UNUSED AREA” ONRECORDING/REPRODUCING APPLICATION SIDE. ALTHOUGH NEITHER RECORDING OFREAL DATA NOR REPLACEMENT OF DEFECTS IS NOT DONE, ONLY PLACE IS SECURED.Restrictive ALLOWED LAST LBN IN End LBN RECORDING → SPECIFY THE UPPERLIMIT OF TIMES OF SKIPPING RETURN Recorded SIZE OF REAL DATA ACTUALLYVALUE Data Length RECORDED

[1224] TABLE 14 TABLE LISTING PARAMETERS AND RETURN VALUES FOR AV READCOMMAND TO ODD IN LBN/ODD-PS PARAMETER DESCRIPTION OF PARAMETERS TYPENAME 81 82 PARAMETER Initial LBN LOGICAL BLOCK NUMBER FOR THE BEGINPOSITION OF AV EXTENT TO BE REPRODUCED Start Address SPECIFY PLAYBACKSTART POSITION IN RELATIVE ADDRESS FROM AV EXTENT BEGIN POSITION DataLength SIZE OF REAL DATA TO BE REPRODUCED → ASSUMING THAT DEFECTIVEPLACES ARE SKIPPED RETURN Recorded Data SIZE OF REAL DATA VALUE LengthACTUALLY RECORDED

[1225] Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broaderaspects is not limited to the specific details and representativeembodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, variousmodifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope ofthe general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims andtheir equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. An information recording method which uses a headfor recording information onto at least an information storage medium, ahead moving mechanism for moving said head to the information storagemedium, and a control section for controlling the moving position ofsaid head by controlling said head moving mechanism and recordsinformation onto said information storage medium, said informationrecording method comprising the steps of: defining a file unit as afirst unit to record information onto said information storage medium,and further defining a contiguous data area unit to be treated as acontinuous recording area as a second unit to decrease the frequency ofaccessing of said optical head and thereby enable continuous recordingonto said information storage medium, doing recording in said contiguousdata area units and organizing a collection of the contiguous data areaunits into said file unit, and providing an information recording placein such a manner that said contiguous data area unit is so set that itextends over the recording area of another file already recorded on saidinformation storage medium and a defective area on said informationstorage medium.
 2. The information recording method according to claim 1, wherein the size CDA of said contiguous data area is:CDAS>=STR×PTR×(Ta+Tskip+Tpc)/(RTR−STR) where STR is the average systemtransmission rate, PTR is the physical transmission rate, Ta is theaverage access time required for reading means to access the recordingarea on the information storage -medium once, Tskip is the total timerequired to pass through the total number of defective areas needing askipping process found for the first time during the present recordingin a contiguous data area, and TPc is the total access time required toavoid the other existing files and the defective areas subjected to alinear replacement process in the past or a skipping replacement processin the preceding recording.
 3. The information recording methodaccording to claim 2 , wherein the total size Lskip of the other filerecording areas and defective areas included in a single contiguous dataarea is: {(CDAS×(PTR−STR)/(STR×PTR))−Ta−Tpc}×PTR where PTR is thephysical transmission rate, STR is the average system transmission rate,Ta is the average access time for one access, CDAS is the size of acontiguous data area, and Tpc is the total access time required to avoidthe other files and the defective areas subjected to the linearreplacement process in the past in the contiguous data area.
 4. Aninformation recording method which uses a head for recording informationonto at least an information storage medium, a head moving mechanism formoving said head to the information storage medium, and a controlsection for controlling the moving position of said head by controllingsaid head moving mechanism and records information onto said informationstorage medium, said information recording method comprising the stepof: recording file entry information in a data area on the informationstorage medium, the file entry information in which identificationinformation about a file to be entered is recorded.
 5. The informationrecording method according to claim 4 , wherein the identificationinformation about the file indicates that the file is a real-time file.6. The information recording method according to claim 5 , wherein theidentification information about the file is recorded in an informationcontrol block (ICB) tag serving as management information about theinformation storage medium.
 7. The information recording methodaccording to claim 6 , wherein, in the management information includingthe information control block (ICB) tag, information about permissionfor a specific user to have access is also written.
 8. The informationrecording method according to claim 6 , wherein, in the managementinformation including the information control block (ICB) tag, a fieldwhere the number of logical blocks serving as recording units and ashort allocation descriptor indicating recording positions are alsowritten is provided.
 9. An information recording method which uses ahead for recording information onto at least an information storagemedium, a head moving mechanism for moving said head to the informationstorage medium, and a control section for controlling the movingposition of said head by controlling said head moving mechanism andrecords information onto said information storage medium, saidinformation recording method comprising the step of: recording fileentry information in a data area on the information storage medium, thefile entry information in which information indicating an informationlength equivalent to the recording length of a real-time file isrecorded.
 10. An information recording method which uses a head forrecording information onto at least an information storage medium, ahead moving mechanism for moving said head to the information storagemedium, and a control section for controlling the moving position ofsaid head by controlling said head moving mechanism and recordsinformation onto said information storage medium, said informationrecording method comprising the steps of: after information is recordedonto the information storage medium, searching for an unrecorded area onthe information storage medium, creating and allocating positioninformation in extent units serving as continuous recording units in thesearched area, and recording information about the position of the emptyextent in a management area.
 11. The information recording methodaccording to claim 10 , wherein the extent unit is an information unitused in effecting physically continuous recording on the informationstorage medium.
 12. The information recording method according to claim11 , wherein, if the total size of the extent units is the file size,the largest unit, and the size of the already recorded information isthe information length, the size of the unrecorded area is equal to thefile size minus the information length and that the size of theunrecorded area is managed in management information in a universal diskformat.
 13. An information recording method which uses a head forrecording information onto at least an information storage medium, ahead moving mechanism for moving said head to the information storagemedium, and a control section for controlling the moving position ofsaid head by controlling said head moving mechanism and recordsinformation onto said information storage medium, said informationrecording method comprising the steps of: before information recordingis done, searching for an unallocated area and a recordable area byreference to management information about the information alreadyrecorded on said information storage medium and creating and recordingmanagement information that allocates at least a first recording unit tothe recordable area.
 14. The information recording method according toclaim 13 , wherein, when the area to which said first recording unit hasbeen allocated partly remains after the information has been recorded,that part is managed as an empty extent.
 15. An information recordingmethod which uses a head for recording information onto at least aninformation storage medium, a head moving mechanism for moving said headto the information storage medium, and a control section for controllingthe moving position of said head by controlling said head movingmechanism and records information onto said information storage medium,said information recording method comprising the steps of: beforeinformation recording is done, searching for an unallocated area and arecordable area by reference to management information about theinformation already recorded on said information storage medium andsetting an empty extent in the recordable area, recording informationabout said empty extent in a file entry serving as managementinformation, and after real-time data is recorded in said empty extent,rewriting the empty extent information into real-time extentinformation.
 16. The information recording method according to claim 15, wherein, when an unrecorded part is left after the rewriting into saidreal-time extent information has been done, information about the emptyextent for the corresponding part is written into the field at the filetale of a file entry.
 17. An information recording method which uses ahead for recording information onto at least an information storagemedium, a head moving mechanism for moving said head to the informationstorage medium, and a control section for controlling the movingposition of said head by controlling said head moving mechanism andrecords information onto said information storage medium, saidinformation recording method comprising the steps of: recordinginformation in error correction code block units and, when the end ofsaid recording information extends to the middle of an error correctioncode block unit, defining that extension as an empty extent, andrecording information about the empty extent as management informationin the file entry information.
 18. The information recording methodaccording to claim 17 , wherein, when new recording information is addedto the recording information recorded by the recording method, the newrecording information is recorded from the area next to the emptyextent, thereby causing the recording start position of the newrecording information to coincide with the begin position of an errorcorrection code block.
 19. An information recording and reproducingmethod which uses a first recording process layer for controlling aninformation recording and reproducing device that records informationonto an information storage medium, a second recording process layerwhich a file system part that controls a place where information is tobe recorded and which controls said first recording process layer, and athird recording process layer existing as an application layer thatgives a command to said second recording process layer, and whichrecords or reproduces information onto or from said information storagemedium in information recording file units, said information recordingand reproducing method comprising the step of: causing said thirdrecording process layer to issue a command to delete only part of saidfile unit to said second recording process layer.
 20. An informationstorage medium which uses a head for recording information onto at leastan information storage surface, a head moving mechanism for moving saidhead to the information storage surface, and a control section forcontrolling the moving position of said head by controlling said headmoving mechanism and records information onto said information storagesurface, said information storage medium characterized by: defining afile unit as a first unit to record information onto said informationstorage surface, and further defining a contiguous data area unit to betreated as a continuous recording area as a second unit to decrease thefrequency of accessing of said optical head and thereby enablecontinuous recording onto said information storage surface, doingrecording in said contiguous data area units and organizing a collectionof the contiguous data area units into said file unit, and providing aninformation recording place in such a manner that said contiguous dataarea unit is so set that it extends over the recording area of anotherfile already recorded on said information storage surface and adefective area on said information storage medium.
 21. An informationrecording medium which uses a head for recording information onto atleast an information storage surface, a head moving mechanism for movingsaid head to the information storage medium, and a control section forcontrolling the moving position of said head by controlling said headmoving mechanism and records information onto said information storagesurface, said information recording medium characterized by: recordingfile entry information in a data area on the information storagesurface, the file entry information in which identification informationabout a file to be entered has been recorded.
 22. An informationrecording device which uses a head for recording information onto atleast an information storage medium, a head moving mechanism for movingsaid head to the information storage medium, and a control section forcontrolling the moving position of said head by controlling said headmoving mechanism and records information onto said information storagemedium, said information recording device comprising means for, afterinformation is recorded on the information storage medium, searching foran unrecorded area on the information storage medium, allocating andcreating position information in extents serving as continuous recordingunits in the searched area, and recording information about the positionof the empty extent in a management area.
 23. An information storagemedium wherein: a single file recorded in a data area is composed of oneor more extents serving as units in physically continuous recording,said extent including a real-time extent in which real data has beenrecorded and an empty extent in which no data is recorded, and that anallocation descriptor serving as the information descriptor for saidextent included in said data area includes identification informationabout said real-time extent and that about said empty extent.